A new name is entering the world of professional, post-collegiate training in the United States. Aaron Ciarla is spearheading a new pro group in Miami under the umbrella of Miami Swimming: a team that is led by Andy De Angulo. Ciarla and de Angulo will split the time in coaching the pros, with Ciarla taking morning practices while he continues to focus on building an outside-of-swimming business and working with a non-profit that he’s become involved with fundraising for. De Angulo will work with those athletes who do doubles in the afternoon.
The team will train out of the Ransom – Everglades High School facility.
“The Ransom Everglades facility that Andy de Angulo helped get built is one of the best in the world,” Ciarla said. “So the idea is to attract world-wide talent, even if just for training camps to allow exposure among top athletes.”
The Ransom Everglades pool in Coconut Grove has a 50 meter, 25-yard outdoor pool that is at least 7 feet deep all around. The pool also has 16 track-start blocks, and a separate 5-lane 25-yard pool, and the whole complex overlooks Biscayne Bay.
The club doesn’t have a name yet, but they’re seeking a sponsor for the team to set up a naming similar to what the Tucson Ford Aquatics program has in Arizona: which is one of the best opportunities a team has to get a club sponsor’s logo on deck at meets like the Olympic Trials.
“Our overall goal is to provide an alternative training location for post grad or professional athletes,” Ciarla elaborated. “Miami is obviously a destination city, and training with a group with similar objectives provides an ideal environment. Miami can also provide career-based goals, post swimming career, which many small college towns cannot provide.”
Ciarla’s personal coaching history is largely working with NCAA athletes; he spent three years each as an assistant with Auburn and Miami, where he developed mostly sprinters. But Ciarla says that this program will “welcome all athletes with international ambitions, not just sprinters.”
De Angulo, meanwhile, is an alum of Miami, who in addition to being the Head Swimming Coach at Ransom Everglades and Miami Swimming is also the Assistant Athletic Director at Ransom Everglades. Among the biggest names on his resume is former National High School Record holder Christina Swindle.
While Ciarla declined to commit anyone to the group in the long-term until they were physically in Miami (training locations for swimmers can be a bit of a waffle-y thing), he did name a handful of swimmers who were involved in the ‘masterminding’ of the group. Those names include:
- American Record holder Lara Jackson
- former Virginia Tech All-American Zach McGinnis
- Bahamas Olympian Elvis Burrows
- Venezuelan National Record holder Roberto Gomez
- South African Olympic gold medalist and World Record holder Roland Schoeman.
Overall, Ciarla is expecting a group of about 10 to start, with a teaser that conversations are ongoing with some really big names to join the group down the road.
A few things:
1. I hope this post grad program is successful, gets off of the ground, and attracts many world class swimmers to Miami. Everyone will benefit, especially the younger swimmers who will see and interact with these athletes.
2. I have no clue about how to run a club, coach kids, get sponsors for athletes, etc., so please bear with me and my comments.
The major impediment to any post grad program here in South Florida is the glaring lack of affordable housing (mores around the Ransom Everglades area) for those who aren’t receiving 100s of thousands of dollars per year in sponsorship money (more about that in a minute). Food and the other basic necessities… Read more »
TOO FUNNY’s just went from weak to non existent. All this name dropping, he/she would probably be really surprised to see how often some of those coaches are even present at practices or on deck. The location is irrelevant. Just happens to be in Miami which can be a plus or minus depending on the athlete. Pro’s are smart enough to know where they would fit in.
Miami is a cool city and I’m sure the facility is really nice. The point is neither one can develop athletes. I doubt the city or the facility played into the decisions of post graduates heading to SwimMAC to swim with David Marsh or NBAC to train with Bob Bowman… Those coaches have flat out developed some of the best swimmers in the world! Even though they are both located in pretty nice places, you could probably add Gregg Troy and Dave Salo to the list for the exact same reasons…
I should clarify that I meant a city and a facility do not develop athletes, coaches do…and there are a lot of great ones out there! Sorry, I just got tired of hearing about the facility:) I wish Aaron and Andy the best of luck in their new venture!
Maybe the facility is underutilized because there are other facilities with excellent coaches not too far away from Ransom. Just sayin’.
The facility is underutilized because its is new-2 years old. They have run great HS events, but it is a legitimate facility. Great opportunity for them and Miami…the facility is amazing and everyone who has seen can agree!
TOOFUNNY2 I think having a coach like Coley, or any coach for that matter, become involved with a group like this would be good for everyone. I can probably speak for Andy and say that we would love to have guest coaches come to Miami and work with the athletes in the future. “Sprint Coach”, “Distance Coach” or how ever they are labeled, would be an opportunity for all of us to share ideas and get a fresh perspective on the sport.
Very well said Aaron. Open dialogue about ideas/training is something that has, traditionally, been lacking in the swimming community. Best of luck to you.
Too funny – probably coley Stickels upset that he wasn’t able to start anything like this. A fair amount of sprinters do double sessions on X amount of days a week. Congrats to Aaron Ciarla, Andy and Miami Swimming. This is a concept that is needed in the world of swimming. Teams like this will allow swimmers to prolong their careers. Will be watching eagerly
Andy De Angulo is an amazing coach. Yes, overall he is the age group coach but I swam under him through some time during college and he definitely knows what he is doing.
I don’t see anything weird about this setup with 2 great coaches and a very underutilized, amazing facility.
Amazing? He is no David Marsh or Bob Bowman… Don’t you think there is a reason the facility is underutilized?
This is too funny…So is the draw Ciarla or Miami and the facility? If these sprinters are going to double (which they won’t), they are going to swim with the age group coach in the afternoons? So many weird things about this setup….
This is very similar set-up to what is going with the Stanford post-grad group. They are coached both by Ted Knapp and Tony Batis (an age group coach). This set up seemed to work for Eugene Godsoe.