A Celebration of Life remembering renowned North Bay swim coach Don Swartz has been scheduled for March 22, 2026.
Don Swartz Celebration of Life Details
- Location: Mill Valley Community Center
- 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941
- Date: March 22nd, 2026
- Time: 3-7PM
Swartz died earlier this year while on vacation in Costa Rica from complications related to the flu. He was 79 years old.
Swartz was a 2013 inductee to the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He began his coaching career in 1967 at Ladera Oaks Aquatic Club in Northern California, and after a brief stop in Davis, became the head coach of the Marin Aquatic Club.
From 1970 to 1976, he built the team into a power, coaching several swimmers to Olympic and World Championship teams. That included coaching Rick DeMont when, in 1973, he became the first person to break the 4 minute barrier in the 400 meter free at the World Championships in Belgrade.
He was a coach on the 1975 World Championship staff among several other international trips with Team USA.
An early pioneer on the mental side of coaching, in 1977 he founded the Creative Performance Institute and worked with coaches and athletes on teaching the mental side of the sport, including goal setting, risk taking, visualization, and anxiety management.
He rejoined the coaching world in 2005 with North Bay Aquatics, where upon his death he was a coach of the senior group and Masters team.
As a Zona wildcat being mentored about life by Rocket I was able to spend time with Don on numerous occasions. One of the best nights ever was Rockets “negative split” screening. Don was in tears and couldn’t stop telling stories from back in the day! Rest easy amigo.
RIP Don – A great guy