The Swim Coaches & Teachers Australia have named Dean Boxall of St. Peters Western its Australian Coach of the Year for the 4th time, setting a new record for the organization.
Boxall was awarded with a number of other coaches over the weekend in a ceremony on The Gold Coast during the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships.
His star pupils, Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus, each came away with multiple gold medals at the World Championships. O’Callaghan won the 100 and 200 free individually, including a new World Record in the 200 free, breaking the legendary record held by Italian Federica Pellegrini.
Titmus won the 400 free individually, adding silver in the 200 free and bronze in the 800 free.
But it was the relays where Boxall’s most impressive feat came. All four swimmers on Australia’s World Record setting women’s 800 free relay in finals train directly under Boxall in a single training group at St. Peters Western – O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Brianna Throssell, and Titmus.
Other Nominees:
- Michael Bohl, Griffith University – Kaylee McKeown (World Champion, 50/100/200 backstroke)
- Tim Lane, Somerville House – Cam McEvoy (World Champion, 50 free)
- Peter Bishop, SASI – Kyle Chalmers (World Champion, 100 free)
- Damien Jones, Rackley – Sam Short (World Champion, 400 free)
Other Major Award Winners
Courtesy: Swim Coaches & Teachers Australia press release.
Other major winners presented with their awards at The Star Casino ballroom were Kate Sparks (Yeronga Park, QLD) who was named the Open Water Coach of the Year and the Multi Class Coach of the Year while Richard Sleight (St Peters Western) was named Age Group Coach of the Year.
Sparkes steered Rio Olympian Chelsea Gubecka, who was in the room tonight, onto her second Olympic team after her silver medal in the 10k at the Fukuoka World Championships.
As well as coaching Paralympic gold medallists Rowan Crothers to two gold and Katja Dedekind to one gold at the Para World Championships in Manchester.
Sleight led the St Peters Western team to another coveted and much sought after National Age Pointscore and he has just returned from the World Junior Championship in Israel where he coached Jamie Perkins to gold in the women’s 400 freestyle and Jacyln Barclay to gold in the 100 backstroke.
A record number of nominations were received for the Swim Australia teaching awards with Canberra’s Rhiannon Kocmar of Aquatots ACT winning the much sought after 2023 Teacher of the Year.
Rhiannon has been a swimming instructor for over 21 years, dedicating and nurturing the next generation of swim instructors.
She goes beyond her role by providing comprehensive qualifying courses, where she imparts not only technical skills but also instils her infectious enthusiasm for swimming. Her students are empowered to become effective and empathetic instructors who prioritize safety and enjoyment in the water.
Rhiannon’s commitment to her craft is exemplified by her impactful work as a swim instructor in Thailand through Rotary.
Her selfless efforts have not only enriched the lives of countless individuals but have also contributed significantly to the mission of water safety awareness. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and tailor her teaching methods to various learning styles is truly commendable.
There was also a Highly Commended Award for Teacher of the Year which went to
Henry Taylor from Alpha Learn to Swim in Queensland
Henry has been teaching/coaching in regional Queensland for the past 27 years and is a pillar of the Central Queensland community teaching children how to swim and making them safer around water.
The 2023 SWIM Australia Teacher of the Year for Learners with Disability went to Kelli-Jane Smith, from Little Snappers Swim School, Queensland.
Kelli-Jane has been teaching for 28 years and is currently developing an alternative needs program for Little Snappers.
Kellie, who holds a Diploma and Degree in Sports Psychology, has adopted the “To, For, With, Alone” teaching methodology to maximise engagement and learning outcomes for her students, her peers and in providing education and advice to the parents and professionals within the wider swim community.
While the 2023 SWIM Australia Teacher of the Year for Babies & Toddlers award went to
Alena Sarri from Aquatots, ACT
Alena has been teaching babies classes for the past 21 years and is the director of Aquatots Swim School. Alena is also a Diamond status teacher.
Her ability to create engaging and enjoyable lessons captivates both babies and parents alike, fostering a love for water activities that extends well beyond the pool.
Alena’s knowledge and experience has been tapped into on the world circuit with Alena presenting at the Austrian Baby conference and the Nordic Swim Conference.
This character deserves Coach of The Year just for his wild reactions at the meets.
The Tarzan mane only further adds to the legend.
Boxall’s rail thing is tired, and lacking spontaneity and genuine emotion at this point. It’s just a cynical performance now. Titmus basically confirmed as much about a minute into an interview in Australia (at link) when she noted that Boxall’s Fukuoka rail performance was just an intentional “up yours” to swimmers on deck who were only hoping he would not repeat his narcissistic Tokyo antics.
https://youtu.be/SFCMvFnyJwE?si=alKejD_jOabLQWIO
I love when people get so upset at Arnie winning they need an excuse to criticise so they talk about Boxall being a “narcissist”. If Arnie had a problem with Boxall drawing attention to himself based on her achievements, she’s more than capable of saying so.
Stay salty
The German girls pictured behind Boxall when he did his railing “antics”, including Angelina Kohler, certainly seemed to be enjoying Boxall’s display immensely ….. as do many other people.
Whether one likes or dislikes the antics of Dean the tiny dancer, it’s a scripted predictable bore at this point, out of the Shane Tusup playbook (and Shane did it better, in concert with a better swimmer). The fact that protege Titmus endorses it is only relevant as a reflection of her own insecure mindset, or perhaps a lust for co-marketing dollars. She’s hardly the arbiter of sportsmanship and, based on comments (true or not) she made pre-meet about 16-year-old Summer McIntosh, IMHO not a particularly fine exemplar of same. That, more than any Titmus victory or Mr. Boxhall’s spastic pro wrestling gyrations, may explain “hate” thrown Titmus’ way–indeed factually, six female swimmers (including Miss McIntosh) left Fukuoka with more… Read more »
Gallo, is it really necessary to indulge in such bitterness towards the swimmer of another country who upset you by winning the 400 Freestyle in dominating fashion. As for what Titmus says in interviews, I haven’t yet heard her say that she enjoys intimidating younger swimmers before races like Lilly King has. Perhaps you could direct more of your bitter loathing towards King for her character-revealing comments.
Oof the Arnie haters take it so personally when she wins, and she just doesn’t care.
Oh, I think Titmus cares. A lot. The most amusing thing was reading Titmus’ pre-meet comments about our young “inexperienced” Canadian star who made it to the Olympics five years younger than Titmus, and finding out post-Fukuoka through her own admission that Titmus (the “Terminator”) was crying like an age grouper on Boxall’s shoulder prior to her bi-annual World Championship 400 Free race… because she was scurred.
Like most sane people, they were nervously laughing at Boxall’s lunacy and at being on the jumbotron. Face it, Boxall is Fonzie jumping the shark at this point–though that’s an insult to Fonzie.
Didn’t Doug Frost win this award multiple times in the 90s?
You all honor this man, but have no idea what I’ve been through…
I want to see the offsprings!
No one else even had a chance. Bohl with Kaylee is impressive but she was his only real standout this year, while Boxall has 2 of the worlds standouts.
International coach of the year incoming.
Boy, is this article gonna bring about the Nolan in some of our International friends.
yeah it would be a bit hard to justify not picking the guy who put 10 swimmers on the national team who all got at least 1 medal at worlds and obviously the w200 free, w400 free, and w4x2 world records as well as the other relay WR’s where he had multiple swimmers on them too
Is there drug testing for national coaches?
Why would there be?
Why? Are you a national coach?
Natatorium railings everywhere, watch out
Rip to the nearest railing
secure the plexiglass, secure the plexiglass
He keeps his training methods close to his chest, but I sure wish we had insight into their training program. I think the only specific set I’ve heard is Titmus going 24x50s LCM on 1:30, in which 20 of them were 26 seconds.
Truth, finke spoke it with Hawke
Kyle stockwell say it
interview express boxall
Who
Unsure if this username is a coincidence or based on mine but this is ripe for confusion
Truth, finke spoke it with hawke
He was very impressive
😉
brett hawke is unmentionable here
From the blocks?
Kiah melverton did a pod with Brenton ford and gives some of the distance freestyle stuff.
Is that the podcast from just after Tokyo? That was before she moved to St Peters.
yes thats right – so not quite on point but cant imagine it too different.
60-70k. Get as fit as possible with threshold before specific preparation. Last five weeks race specific intensity with suits and being as fit as possible to absorb the race intensity
I remember earlier this year Swimswwam peanut gallery made fun of Titmus when she said she had done her most unbelievable training in the past year.
Results:
400 free WR and destroyed the two former WR holders.
PB in 200 free.
Fastest ever 200 relay split by a significant amount
Exactly, I can’t understand why that absurd name Summer and Arnie’s paralysis or something like that, which bothered me in the comments, aren’t there.
Silver in the 200 Free, bronze in the 800 Free–both step-downs from Tokyo.
PB in the 200 and 400. Equal to PB in 800. Caden, you are a drop kick,
Even took a world record in the 200 to beat her.
Yes, gosh darn it, MOC and W Aq should have handed Arnie the 200m Free gold medal just for showing up to World Championships this time!
Lol the Arnie haters are too much. She destroyed a world record after being written off and then people still need to do mental gymnastics to criticise her performance. Sad
Ledecky silver in 400 free and 4×200.
Both step downs from Budapest.
You saying?