Recognizing the Irvine Novaquatics as a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club

By Dave Denniston

IRVINE, California. March 26. IN the next few weeks expect to see Dr. Dave Salo’s name in the news, over speculation of whether or not he will be indeed leaving the Novaquatics pool deck as the head coach to head-up the men’s program at USC. But before anything happens or doesn’t happen, Swimming World Magazine took a look at what has made him one of the most sought after coaches of one of the top swimming programs in the country.

It is not very often that swimmers will flock to a program after college to continue their swimming career. That is the case for the Novaquatics based out of Irvine, California. What they are seeking is the unique coaching style of Dave Salo.

“Dave makes workouts so much fun,” says NOVA stand-out Jessica Hardy. “I never get bored and look forward to going to workouts.

What makes the workouts so much fun is his constant interaction with the team. Dr. Salo never writes a workout down and puts it on a dry-erase board, or copies it on paper to put in front of a swimmer with a “here, do this” approach. He engages every swimmer by making them remember each set as he tells it to the team no more than twice.

Each set isn’t a simple 10 x 100’s either. Salo mixes it up with drills, kicking, flipping, jumping, spinning and almost always sprinting. The workouts are intense, fast, and often times athletically challenging. Every swimmer from a 14 year-old to the old man in the pool, Jason Lezak, has a smile on their face.

Dr. Salo has had success with his philosophy and coaching style. He’s put numerous people on the Olympic team, including Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol, Gabriella Rose, Stacianna Winfield, Gabe Woodward, and of course Amanda Beard. His constant interaction, engaging workouts and constant intensity is what has made the Irvine Novaquatics a Gold Medal Swim Club.

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