William J Amos
Silver Coach
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Will Amos, originally from Rome, Georgia, has lived in Castle Rock
since 1998. An Age-Group, High School, and Collegiate Swimmer, Will
qualified for Sr. Nationals in 1987 and 1988 in both breaststroke
events. Will swam for Atlanta Swimming Association, Darlington High
School, Duke University, and Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta.
He began his coaching career at Dynamo, working with 9-12 year
olds, and coached on and off throughout the 90s at the high school
and age group level. He joined Rock as a coach in 2006.
He is also an active Masters swimmer, and occasionally competes at
the state and national level. He currently serves as the
Vice-Chairman of Colorado Masters Swimming.
When not at the pool, Coach Will works as a Computer Resource
Teacher for Douglas County Schools. He is an avid reader and player
of computer games.
Paul Whitaker
Age Group Coach
Email
Paul is
originally from
Arizona
.
A graduate from
Ball
State
University
in
Muncie
,
Indiana
,
he earned his degree in elementary education. He currently teaches
first grade in
Douglas
County
School District
.
A long time swimmer, Paul began his competitive swimming career at
the age of 10. He started swimming for Scottsdale Aquatics Club
in
Scottsdale
Arizona
,
and upon entering high school, he became a member of the
Desert
Mountain
High School
swim team. After graduation, he went to the
University
of
Arizona
for a year and a half, but did not compete while there. He later
transferred to
Ball
State
University
,
where he swam at the NCAA Division 1-A collegiate level for three
years. His primary events were the 200 free, 500 free, 100
free,
and 200
IM. Paul no longer
competitively competes, but is looking forward to seeing the sport
from the coaching aspect again. While competing at the club and
collegiate level Paul worked as a head summer club coach for the
City of
Scottsdale
and was an
assistant coach for the
Ball
State
University
sponsored swim
camp.
Mike Novell
Head Coach
Email
Mike Novell Bio
When I was four I broke my leg falling off a
porch at my home in Michigan. The Doctor gave me a sweet green
cast and instructions to go to the local YMCA for swim lessons or
else my leg would grow back crooked or uneven or something like
that. So began my
involvement in the wonderful world of swimming. From then on I knew it was
something I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life. After I moved to Glendale,
Arizona I competed with summer swim teams and eventually
competitive clubs until I graduated High School.
While I wasn’t a bad swimmer my
performance definitely didn’t equal my passion for the
sport. When I was
fifteen I started working with the rec team that was practicing at
a pool I was lifeguarding at. It was then that I knew where I
fit into the sport. I
loved coaching.
My First coaching job came a year later when
the Glendale Peoria YMCA Hammerheads took a chance on me and gave
me the reins of their year round team. I was probably too young and
inexperienced for the job at the time, but I learned lots of
valuable lessons and it put me in contact with some of the best
people that I have ever worked with.
After I graduated High School I moved to
Tempe, Arizona to attend Arizona State perusing a degree in
Architecture. I
transferred from Glendale to the Tempe YMCA where I started working
with Angelo Martins and the Gators. Coach Martins instilled a
progressive thought that I have carried with me ever since. Nothing is ever perfect,
there can always be improvement, and creativity can lead to
tremendous results.
I took a short hiatus from coaching after I
finished school, but the pool would soon draw me back. I went back to coaching at Sun
Devil Aquatics and Arizona State University. At Sun Devil I worked under Justin
Slade as an age group coach. Justin is the single most
passionate coach I have ever met. He could inspire athletes to do
amazing things again and again. Coach Slade made every minute in
practice exciting and every yard feel critical to getting
faster. Also at Sun
Devil I had the opportunity to work with Greg Winslow. Greg brought me into a world of
extremely fast swimming and more than anything made me believe in
myself as a coach. Greg
also embodied enthusiasm and has an understanding for the athlete
mind that made swimmers work harder for him than they could ever
imagine. While at ASU I
worked as a graduate assistant coach under Mike Chasson who taught
me so much about the professional side of Coaching, and eventually
encouraged me to look beyond for new opportunities.
I am currently the Head Coach at Castle Rock
Swimming. My
development philosophy is swimmers should learn to swim correctly
as well as develop all the competitive skills before they step into
heavy training. I like
to keep practice fun and dynamic, so athletes are never board and
constantly being challenged. Over the course of my career in
coaching I have worked with every level of athlete imaginable and
that experience has benefited me tremendously. Whether it’s an Olympic
Trials finalist or an eight and under achieving their first silver
state cut it is all about achieving the pinnacle of personal
performance and then finding a way to go faster.
