The first time I met Dave Denniston, it was at Auburn University. As a ‘Bama guy, I was a little nervous being in the heart of War Eagle territory with a bunch of Auburn swimmers who had just returned from the 2000 Olympic Trials. They were at the top of their form and I was…uh…on deck, with the huge assignment of trying to teach them something they didn’t already know. It turned out to be one of best experiences I’ve ever had as a teacher, and a large part of that was due to Dave.
During my weekend at Auburn, I got to spend most of my time with the breaststrokers. Usually, I have a lot to say to breaststrokers. But when I stepped on deck at Auburn, I was nearly tongue-tied. For the first time in my coaching career, I was working with breaststrokers who were faster than I’d ever been. Faster than my wildest dreams. My biggest fear was that I’d have NOTHING to tell them…and that after a few laps they’d figure out that I didn’t really know what I was talking about.
Maybe they were just humoring me. Maybe they saw through to my distress and took pity on me. Whatever the case, they couldn’t have been more attentive. They made me feel comfortable, and I had a really fun time.
After one of the sessions, this guy named Dave Denniston, recently crowned NCAA Champion, started talking to me, and we hopped in the pool together. He was asking questions, and we were trying different things on the underwater pull. His lack of "attitude" was what struck me. Here he was, already an NCAA Champ and one of the fastest breaststrokers on the planet, and he was still listening. Still trying to figure out how to go faster. Still trying to learn anything he could. I guess he was hoping I’d say something that he could use. I think he was hoping I was smarter, but regardless, we got along really well.
Dave and I kept in touch from that point forward, and became good friends.
When we were starting GoSwim.tv, and developing the list of swimmers we’d recruit for stroke films, I had one breaststroker in mind, Dave Denniston. Dave has one of the most "teachable" breaststrokes of the elites. By that I mean he doesn’t have a lot of idiosyncracies in his stroke — things that only DAVE can do. Instead, he does great things in his stroke that EVERY swimmer can do. Plus, Dave loves to teach — especially kids. So he was a natural choice to star in our breaststroke videos. He was instrumental in developing the concepts for each video, and in helping us determine the best way to present the information to kids. Plus, he made the entire process FUN.
Because of all that Dave has done to help launch our video series, and because of our desire to help him at this time, we’ve decided to donate all the after-cost profits on his videos to The Dave Denniston Fund. This is a way for us to help Dave, and for YOU to help him as well. And in the process, you’ll get the benefits of learning from one of the most skilled breaststrokers ever.
This commitment will be retroactive to January 1st, 2005, so if you’ve recently purchased one of Dave’s DVDs, you’ll have contributed to his medical fund.
Please spread the word, and please enjoy the DVDs. Here’s what Guy Edson of the American Swim Coaches Association says about Dave’s Go Swim Breaststroke Turns & Pullouts DVD:
"Dave’s Breaststroke Turn DVD is THE video I have been waiting for for 20 years. He shows the breaststroke turn the way it should be — a very efficient and fast but simple rotation. All age-group swimmers need to learn it the right way the first time and Dave’s DVD is the best tool I have ever seen for the developing athlete as well as the more experienced athlete."
Go Swim Breaststroke with Dave Denniston
Go Swim Breaststroke Drills with Staciana Stitts and Dave Denniston
Go Swim Breaststroke Turns & Pullouts – featuring Dave Denniston
Go Swim Dryland Exercises #1 – featuring Dave Denniston
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