After four years
experience swimming for UC Irvine’s swim team on a scholarship, two
years as an assistant coach at Newport Hills and having just finished
her fifth year as the assistant coach of the UC Irvine men’s and
women’s swim team, Michelle Dienzo has gone back to the fundamentals
of swimming—and enjoyed it. Michelle is in the midst of her third
season as head coach of the Newport Hills
Killer Whales swim team, a group of 330 energetic Harbor View
children ranging from 5 to 18 years of age which benefits from her
technical approach to coaching.
“When I
came in[to the program],” Michelle says, “they didn’t know much about
swimming.” During the past few years, she has sensed her impact on
the kids as well as the kids’ impact on her. The swimmers’
improvement has mirrored her increased abilities as a coach. “Every
year I grow as a coach,” Michelle says. “I learn more and I
just get a little bit more technical.”
Michelle’s swimming and coaching
experience at UCI has no doubt played a significant role in shaping
her coaching style. With an open and friendly demeanor, Michelle
coaches the swim team and leads the notably young coaching staff.
Michelle, 29, is the oldest. “Our energy level is very high,” she
notes.
At a typical Killer Whales
practice, young swimmers
practice their stroke in
the pool under Michelle’s watchful eyes as others are engaged in
exercises on the grassy area nearby. The kids practice their stroke
on land, do push-ups, lunges, sit-ups and run on the field.
“As a swimmer myself, I’m able to
create new drills to help reach out to our kids to make their stroke
better. I like to break down the stroke by
different elements with their legs, with their kick, with their body
position. I’ve had a lot of training through my boss at UC Irvine
[Brian Pajer] who has coached Olympians and now I’ve carried that
with me here.”
While filtering down various
exercises she uses with the UCI Anteaters for the Killer Whales,
Michelle appreciates the difference in mindset between her
college-age students and the younger swimmers at Harbor View.
“Coaching the college kids, they’ve already created bad habits”
Michelle says. “When I come here, it brings me back to the
fundamentals of swimming.” With the energy of the youthful kids comes
a greater mental flexibility to follow Michelle’s stroke improvement
tips.
“They work
hard [and] we also try to have fun,” Michelle
says. With a laugh, she recalls the belly dive contest last year, in
which the coaches gave out scores and actually provided belly flop
stroke techniques. This year, she invited the 330 swimmers to
challenge her and her assistant coach to a race in the pool with the
kids permitted to use flippers.
“The kids are so cute, they keep me
going,” Michelle says as she smiles. “They inspire me everyday.”
