We asked Tai some questions…
Tai Daniela
When Liz van Welie Aquatics opened it’s doors in April 2017, there was one full time coach with just under 20 swimmers. In 2022 there are now just under 600 swimmers and it gives us great pleasure to introduce an additional coach to the team bringing the coaching group up to six!
Tai Daniela joins us after a short break from coaching, bringing 24 years of experience to the program. Most recently Tai was with Evo Swimming Club before stepping back to consider other options. Thankfully for us, the pull of swim coaching was too great and Tai is back on the pool deck.
We threw Tai some ‘get-to-know-you’ questions and we hope you enjoy reading about our newest staff member.
1. How and why did it all start in swim coaching for you?
Way back 1998, while studying at Victoria university, I got a part time learn to swim teaching job at TSW Aquatics. I planned to finish studying then head overseas to either Korea or Japan to teach English, however during my last semester one of the club coaches at TSW Aquatics moved on and I was asked if I was interested in that role while I clarified ongoing plans. I was given a small group of 9–11-year-olds who went through to junior nationals and we managed to snare a couple of medals at NZ Juniors in my first year and from there it was a process of searching for the next step.
2. What have been your key learnings in coaching over the years?
Where to begin:
- Swimmer development is a marathon not a sprint
- There will be big highs and lows in every swimmer’s career
- During the highs the coach needs to keep feet on the ground, during the lows the coach needs to keep looking skyward
- Every swimmer is unique and every family is unique
- To get the best performances in any sphere the swimmer, the family and the coach/teacher need to pulling in the same direction
- The best method to ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction is open honest communication with the swimmer’s best interests at heart
- For 99% of swimmers, swimming will make up a very small part of their lives – less than 0.05%. For the few that invest more than that coaches must value that investment. For the many that choose different paths coaches must respect their decisions.
- While swimmers are in our care, we can teach the soft skills and values that will help lead to success in whatever direction the swimmer’s life takes them. To me that is the primary benefit for families in belonging and contributing to a swim club.
- Lastly, plan the day, plan the week, plan the year, plan the swimmer career cycle.
3. What have been your key learnings about yourself over the years?
I’m strongly process orientated. Establish a process, refine the process, trust the process.
I learn through trial and error. It may be hard to believe but I’m fallible. I’ve learnt to be careful when I see the same errors occurring – there is something I’m failing to identify. I’ve also found it is much easier to watch and learn from others’ errors other than just my own.
Patience along with measured responses are constant work ons of mine. It is easy to demand excellence in the moment, for overall development a swimmer needs to be trusted to demand excellence of themselves and to be comfortable failing and getting up again.
I enjoy reading and the ever-encroaching online world suits me – however I know the best source of knowledge is face to face
4. What are you most proud of as a coach?
- Individual result: formulating a plan with a swimmer to take one of Danyon Loader’s NZ Age Records. 18 months prep for this swimmer’s second NZR. The record was nice but the deep satisfaction came from knowing at that moment the swimmer’s belief had solidified into deep determination – he moved to the NZ HP Centre after finishing high school and went on to hold the NZRs for the 1500 & 800 Free both long and short course and swam at over 8 different international competitions over 6 years.
- Team result: Took a small team of 9 swimmers to NZ Short Course one year. 4 of the girls were in the 13-15 age group. They won the 4 x 50 Freestyle and came 3rd in the 4 x 50 Medley relays. The freestyle relay just missed the unofficial NZR. Watching a girl who had qualified in the 800/1500 and the 200 Fly hold off the 50 Free NZR holder in the last 50 for the win was fantastic, and a testament to the technical skills the group had.
- Team quality: At NAGs having the meet director call our team manager over – not for a DQ or swim off but to pass on her regards to our team for being friendly, polite and respectful to meet staff and the marshalls, to the point they stood up from other teams.
5. What potential do you look for in a swimmer?
To me there are three main things that show up over time:
- They love being in the water/coming to training
- They invest time and energy in understanding the next steps for them
- They are coachable
With those 3 attributes swimmers can weather the storms of adolescence, injury, disappointment and continue to develop each phase
6. What do you hope to bring to LVWA as a coach?
LVW has a stable, high quality and knowledgeable coaching duo in Matt and Sam. I see my role in supporting them to enable continued program development. That includes:
- Coaching poolside alongside Sam with Drysdale, allowing better overall coach to swimmer ratios and more direct individual feedback/interaction.
- Running some squad sessions in Drysdale and Adams allowing additional scope for Matt and Sam to provide increasing additional swimmer services; eg. Additional dryland, more regular squad meetings and individual planning meetings for senior swimmers.
- Providing a fresh set of eyes.
7. What are your goals in the short term and longer term?
Big question
- Short term. Maintain/Improve family balance especially while the kids are so young at 5 and 2
- Medium term. House build was due to begin late 2020 early 2021. Covid/Maternity Leave and builder going under set that back a long way.
- Long term. Both Katrina and I are looking at the stage of life when we can start doing travel the children will remember. Planet Earth is a wonderful place with so many things to experience.
8. Tell us about yourself outside of swim coaching?
Hobbies/Interests include:
- Cooking; especially over charcoal/fire. Mix of perennial favourites and something new at least once a month
- Movies; struggling right now with miss 5 and master 2 the last film that I really enjoyed was A Man called Ove. Really interesting themes around trying to create order when one’s life is falling apart countered with the joy of family and friendship. Watching TV series is more manageable and Katrina and I have recently finished Ricki Gervais Afterlife. I was not really a fan of his awkward shtick in the office etc but Afterlife was heart-warming and relatable coming to terms with grief series.
- Sport; I love the drama of sport; individuals and teams that are well organised and performing at a high-performance level, pitted against each other is fantastic. Whether it’s the battle between Liverpool and City in the EPL, the rise of the Silver Ferns under Noelene, the challenge the ABs face next year with England, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa all looking pretty even right now. Whether it’s the dominance of Adam Peaty and seeing breaststrokers around the world analyse the strategies to slowly close the gap, the annual strategic showdown that is the Tour de France, I find the journey of competition exciting across codes.
9. What media do you consume? Any learning from it?
Like movies finding the time to read is severely limited with the kids running around. When I can, I spend time consuming a few favourite blogs/sites /podcasts/channels. I find short 20–30-minute articles/videos work with the kids around and podcasts are great in the car. Examples of my likes include:
- theconversation.com
- r/askhistorians
- r/futurology
- thenakedscientists.com
- npr.org especially hidden-brain podcast
- veritasium YT channel
- B1M YT channel
- Squidge Rugby YT channel
- InsidewithBrettHawke YT channel
10. Favourite music?
Similar to sport, in music I enjoy many genres like much else things are limited by the children in the house. Katrina and I managed to sneak out a few weeks ago to watch Post Modern Jukebox, a Jazz influenced cover group that play a wide variety of popular songs. James (2yrs) and I have a regular playlist that is slowly growing with songs he loves and I am happy to have in the background. It’s pretty diverse, with songs such as Piano Man, Crazy Frog, I’m Good (radio edit), We will Rock You, Final Countdown, Human, Four Seasons in One Day, Shine On You Crazy Diamond and the typical Disney, Let it Go etc.
The coaching program will be richer for having Tai Daniela as part of the team. We are already observing knowledge being shared pool side and look forward to seeing improvements in swimmer performances.