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Q&A with Santa Margarita Coaches Ron and Rich Blanc
By Michael J. Stott
Since 1996, brothers Ron and Rich Blanc have guided the Santa Margarita Catholic High School swim and dive program to unprecedented success. In 2017, they were named NISCA Outstanding Service Award winners.
Coach Ron Blanc
Co-head Swimming and Diving Coach, Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
• California State University Fullerton, B.S., business administration and accounting, 1990; California State University Long Beach, M.B.A., marketing, 1993; Loyola-Marymount University, M.A., Catholic School Administration, 2009
• Co-head swim coach, SMCHS, 1998-present; assistant coach, 1996-97
• Head swim coach, Mater Dei High School, 1989-95—won California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section title in 1990; assistant coach, 1988
• Coached 94 high school All-Americans and 390 All-CIF swimmers
• Named National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 2014
• Named Southern California and Orange County Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2017
• NISCA Outstanding Service Award recipient, 2017
• NISCA Zone 7 director
• ASCA Level 5 coach
• Author of 80-page SMCHS media guide
Coach Rich Blanc
Co-head Swimming and Diving Coach /Aquatics Manager, Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
• California State University Fullerton, B.S., business administration and accounting, 1990; California State University Long Beach, M.B.A., marketing, 1993; Loyola-Marymount University, M.A., Catholic School Administration, 2009
• Co-head swim coach, SMCHS, 1996-present
• Head swim coach, Mater
Dei, 1989-95; won California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section title in 1990; assistant coach, 1988
• Coached 94 high school All-Americans and 390 All-CIF swimmers
• Coached SMCHS varsity girls 25 years, boys 23
• Named National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 2014
• Named Southern California and Orange County Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2017
• NISCA Outstanding Service Award recipient, 2017
Q. SWIMMING WORLD: How did you two get into aquatics?
A. COACHES BLANC: We were told by our learn-to-swim swimming instructor that we could be very successful swimmers. Her encouragement was invaluable.
SW: And then into coaching?
CB: We fell in love with both swimming and water polo. Once our athletic careers ended, we wanted to stay involved. Coaching was a great way to do that. As swimmers, we learned self-confidence, time management skills and to be great teammates. We wanted to pay those life skills forward by giving our swimmers the same opportunities.
SW: Any seminal influences?
CB: Our Orange Coast College coach, Don Watson, was a great influence. Among other things, he showed us how to be part of a team. A great testimony to him is that at some point more than 10 of our college teammates went on to become swim coaches. As for us, we have coached together for our entire coaching careers.
SW: Why high school coaching as opposed to club or college?
CB: We started by going back to our alma mater, Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), which needed a swim coach. We thought we could make a difference there, especially with the high school kids. After the first season, we fell in love with high school coaching, felt needed and just remained there. We both got jobs in secondary education as teachers and administrators, so we also enjoy the high school experience in other capacities as well.
Coaching in college is still a possibility. For seven summers, we coached a club team and enjoyed that very much.
Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.
[PHOTO BY GEORGIO SCALIA / DEEPBLUEMEDIA]
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FEATURES
010 THE OLYMPIC “QUADRENNIUM:” A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD
by David Rieder
Swimming World reflects on the last five years since the last Olympic Games in Rio and ponders the questions that lie ahead during the next three years leading up to Paris 2024.
014 A CANADIAN SURGE
by Matthew De George
Swimmers from Canada exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games. And the Canadian delegation showed that the future is as bright as the present, with prolific young talents on both sides of the competition.
020 ISHOF FEATURE: AQUATOTS MURDER CASE—THE KATHY TONGAY STORY (Part 1)
by Bruce Wigo
It is doubtful that in the annals of aquatic history, there has ever been an example of abusive parents like the story of “little Kathy Tongay.”
024 EXPECT GREAT THINGS!
by John Lohn
David Popovici just turned 17 years old, but the Romanian sprint freestyler appears poised to follow a path to prominence.
031 NUTRITION: KNOW THYSELF
by Dawn Weatherwax
Knowing your body composition can help you swim fast and stay healthy.
COACHING
029 BASIC DRYLAND TRAINING
by Michael J. Stott
A concentrated, ongoing strength and conditioning regimen provides a quality supplement to in-pool training, helping swimmers become stronger and faster. Coaches Ron and Rich Blanc of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California share last season’s dryland training schedule that helped his girls’ and boys’ teams become national powers.
030 WEIGHT ROOM COMMON SENSE
by J.R. Rosania
These “Do’s and Dont’s” are courtesy of exercise scientist J.R. Rosania, whose performance enhancement firm Healthplex serves multisport athletes worldwide.
034 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 5): MINIMIZING THE ARM RECOVERY PHASE
by Rod Havriluk
The greatest possible time decreases for additional swimming velocity increases are in the non-propulsive phases (entry and recovery). This article includes strategies to minimize the recovery phase time of all four strokes.
045 Q&A WITH COACHES RON & RICH BLANC
by Michael J. Stott
046 HOW THEY TRAIN MAGGIE McGUIRE & JACK NUGENT
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
033 DRYSIDE TRAINING: BACK TO BASICS (Part 1)
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
044 UP & COMERS: MARYJANE (MJ) NEILSON
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT FAMOUS GUYS WHO GOLF?
016 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
036 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY`
048 GUTTERTALK
049 PARTING SHOT
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