The Santa Clara Swim Club

This morning at 7AM I met a physical therapist with the aim of working on some of the difficulties that are keeping me from swimming with the proper form.  I actually hoped for much more beyond that,  a PT who could assist me with the ongoing challenges in my body/mind presented by Parkinson's Disease.  In Dr. GJ Mullen, the strength coach of the Santa Clara Swim Club (SCSC), I believe I may have found that and perhaps more.....a shining example of his employer (SCSC).

SCSC is a world renowned swim club and the masters dues to swim there are not trivial (at least to me).
The masters' coach, John Schaeffer, is clearly dedicated to helping the people swimming in his programs.  In spite of the numerous people swimming, he connects with each one to the degree feasible and you feel his drive for excellence (though there are days you'd like to feel it less).

How did I come to be connected with SCSC and its masters program?  Through sheer luck, Team in Training made an arrangement to use their pool facilities for our triathlon training.  I needed extra help based on my state of swimming knowledge/ability.  Our TNT assistant coach, Kevin Guthrie mentioned that according to the agreement with SCSC, for the  $50 for the season (about 4 months) that I had paid, I could also join a beginning masters group with SCSC.  Because of the frequency with which I would swim with them, I had to join the Pacific Masters Swim organization for an extra $50.
I never questioned whether this was worthwhile or not.  Unquestionably, it seemed so to me.
However, meeting Dr. Mullen this morning, reading SCSC's mission statement and some of its beliefs up on the wall of the weight room, I started to understand what I had stumbled onto.

This is an organization that has been incredibly successful at training Olympic medal winners.  But, so far beyond that, they take pride in ALL of the people who pass through their programs that they strive to help.  Their motto is "We dream, we train, we achieve."  Nice words...but what stands behind them?
What stands behind them is a set of values that stand beautifully on their own, a clear commitment to the development of not just great swimmers but great PEOPLE and their obvious sense of pride in their achievements.  What a place this is!

Here is their mission statement:

WE DREAM   _*   WE TRAIN   _*   WE ACHIEVE

Vision:
We are committed to becoming a world-class swimming organization.
 

Mission: 
Our mission is to pursue excellence through the sport of swimming.

Our Guiding Principles:
Santa Clara Swim Club has been developing champions since its founding by George Haines in 1951.  His vision to develop world-class individuals through the sport of swimming remains the cornerstone of our program.

In keeping with Haines philosophy, our coaches and swimmers identify themselves as both educators and students with the pool as their classroom.  Our quest is to ignite the potential in each of our athletes by embracing the values embodied in the Olympic charter.

• The pursuit of personal excellence
• Harmony between mind and body
• Joy found in effort
• Health and Fitness
• Respect for others
• Ethical conduct
• Fair play

Carrying forth this tradition of excellence, SCSC offers our community a full service swimming program designed to meet the needs of every member.