COACHING
STEVE
Q&A
HAUFLER Thanks to his videos and ASCA World Clinic presentations, Steve Haufler is one of the country’s most visible and successful stroke technicians. Overlooked are his skills at developing young staff members and his enormous success in securing 19 consecutive Orinda Moraga Pool Association team championships in one of the nation’s most competitive (17 Olympians) summer swimming leagues.
Coach Steve Haufler Director of Aquatics/Head Swim Coach Orinda Country Club Assistant Fall Coach Orinda Aquatics Orinda, California
BY MICHAEL J. STOTT •
Q. SWIMMING WORLD: How did you get your start in aquatics? A. COACH STEVE HAUFLER: As a swim instructor at age 14 at Canyon Pool Swim School in El Sobrante, Calif. SW: Between your teaching, coaching and videos, you have helped thousands learn to swim. How did you learn? SH: With a private instructor in my grandparents’ backyard pool at age 4. After that, I took lessons at various city programs until I started more advanced instruction when I was 10. SW: Who were some of your seminal influences? SH: Fred and Bill Brown were my summer league and AAU age group coaches. Fred continued as my high school coach. Later on, it was Jack Flanagan at Diablo Valley College and Rick Rowland at University of California, Santa Barbara. As a graduate coaching assistant with the women’s team at UCSB in 1974-76, I shared the pool deck with men’s coach Gregg Wilson. Gregg brought Nort Thornton’s teaching and training philosophy to UCSB. I had a front-row seat! SW: You coached the Montclair Swim Team prior to taking over Orinda Country Club. Do you miss the (USA Swimming) club environment? SH: Each fall, after my summer season has ended, about 40 of my more dedicated swimmers continue to train with me at Orinda Country Club (OCC). We register 42
MAY 2021
SWIMMINGWORLD.COM
these athletes with Orinda Aquatics, and they can compete in fall USA Swimming meets and Junior Olympics if they qualify. So, I coach and train swimmers for USA Swimming events for three months out of the year. That feels about right. SW: What differences do you see in coaching summer league vs. yearround swimmers? SH: Summer league is teaching and sprinting. Year-round swimming is teaching and training for a variety of distances. However, even though our summer league events are 25s and 100 IMs for 8-and-unders, and 50s and 100 IMs for older kids, I find myself designing practices—at least for 9-10s and up—that prepare swimmers for the 200 IM. SW: What differences in age group swimming do you see between now vs. the 1970s and 1980s? SH: Coaches have come a long way in the understanding of optimal stroke technique and how bodies move in the water. Now preparation for competition is not just about maximizing hours, volume and doing the hardest sets. It’s become a more interesting sport for coaches and swimmers who want to pay attention to HOW they are swimming. SW: Your stroke progression methodology is both inspirational and foundational. How did you become fascinated with teaching technique? SH: In 1964 when I was 12, I first
•
•
• • •
• • •
• •
• •
•
University of California Santa Barbara, B.A., physical education, 1974; Colorado State University (Fort Collins), M.Ed., 1978 Masters thesis, “Survey of the Family Sports Environment and Attitudes toward Recreational and AAU Age Group Swimming” Director of Aquatics/Head Swimming Coach, Orinda Country Club, 1999-present Assistant Fall Coach, Orinda Aquatics, 1999-present Head Coach, Montclair Swim Team (Oakland, Calif.), 1981-96 Age Group Coordinator, Concord Pleasant Hill Swim Team (now Terrapins), 1980-81 Head Coach, Loveland (Colo.) Swim Club, 1978-80 Graduate Coaching Assistant, UCSB women’s team, 1974-76 Head Coach, Canyon Swim & Racquet Club (El Sobrante, Calif.), summers, 1972-76 Owner, Haufler Aquatics Swim School (Oakland, Calif.), 1981-2010 Featured speaker, American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic, 2007-present GoSwim Productions, featured speaker on nine videos, 2008-16 Group and team clinician in Dubai, Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Peru, South Africa Senior team captain at UCSB
Coach Haufler’s OCC teams have won the last 19 Orinda Moraga Pool Association summer league championships. As a swimmer himself, Haufler has recorded 85 individual Masters Top 10 finishes (19882020) and 21 relay Top 10 performances (1997-2005).
