The Brains Behind Bolles School Swimming

Sergio Lopez has built one of swimming’s hotspots at Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. Garrett McCaffrey sits down to discuss Sergio’s views on high school swimming, college recruiting, and future career plans. If you want to hear more from Sergio check out his blog sergiolopezmiro.com.

Should top level swimmers (Jr. National qualifiers or faster) compete for their high school?

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@JakeShell
12 years ago

Hershey is another one along with Bolles and Carmel that comes to mind when looking at club and high school coaches being one in the same and doing it the right way.

Pam
12 years ago

Ah, it all boils down to EGO in my child’s situation. One coach’s ego is too big and he refuses to acknowledge the contribution of the other. Sad. He is hurting the kids. He doesn’t BELIEVE that the other program serves his as well and that carries through to the kids.

Coach
Reply to  Pam
12 years ago

Have you spoke with the AD at your child’s school? How do other parents feel? Although you may not get immediate change, you will open a dialogue. As always, I’m sure it’s very political

Wahooswimfan
12 years ago

he’s done a great job for sure, but Bolles has had a very strong program for at least the last 40 years – Randy Reese coached them for years and turned out quite a few studs,

Katy
12 years ago

Great interview Coach Sergio!!! We all appreciate your honesty and obvious passion for the sport. Good luck to all the Bolles swimmers at High School States on November 10th!

bobo gigi
12 years ago

Congrats to you Sergio Lopez! You make a fantastic job with your young swimmers.

Marley09
12 years ago

Terrific interview you two. Did Sergio say $41,000 per year?

Opinionated
Reply to  Marley09
12 years ago

For Bolles? I think he said $55,000.

Reply to  Opinionated
12 years ago

$55,000 for foreign students. $41,000 for US kids (financial ad is available). excellent academics, olympic level coaching and a terrific group of swimmers and parents. well worth the expense. thanks for everything sergio!

Marley09
Reply to  coach t
12 years ago

thanks.

jman
12 years ago

i agree with Pam. The Bolles situation is ideal, but rare. Carmel’s program is another that comes to mind where the HS swimmers train year round with their club coach. Not surprising that these programs are consistently high achieving.

And i’m guessing those states have better HS rules than ours (MIchigan). In Michigan a HS coach cannot coach more than 3 athletes at a time out of season. And there is a ‘dead week’ period in early July when they cannot coach any athletes. So our state is set up to really not have any HS coaches working with athletes out of the HS season in a club situation.

Some club coaches in Michigan dissuade their swimmers from… Read more »

Coach
12 years ago

Whatever arrangement works out needs to be initiated by the swimmer and not the coaches ego. Ego is a good thing, it’s the only thing that gets us off the couch to want to do anything. Too much ego is bad! It makes us want to succeed at the expense of another failing.

Having just seen Sergio speak, I can tell what makes him a great coach is his honesty. He is honest in his efforts, words and actions and realizes that’s the only piece he can control. All the other noise is outside his control (ie he can’t control what a different HS coach wants to do with a swimmers training) and not worth investing a bunch of negative… Read more »

About Garrett McCaffrey

No one lives the sport of swimming like Garrett McCaffrey. A Division I swimmer who spent 4 years covering the sport as a journalist, now coaches club swimming and competes as a masters swimmer, Garrett truly lives the sport of swimming. After graduating from University of Missouri’s award winning journalism program …

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