John Adye, Director of Swimming
John (whose surname is pronounced Ay-Dee) joined us as Head Coach in 2022.
In 2008, John started coaching at City of Coventry SC, whilst at University. He spent six years there learning the role of a coach whilst completing his studies, before a period as Head Coach at Hillingdon Swimming Club. There he spent seven years working with an excellent committee and team of coaches, enjoying great success consistently over a sustained period. John has been fortunate to have had expert guidance, as a young coach, from senior coaches including Laurie Dormer, Graham Bassi, Adam Ruckwood and Dave Heathcock.
John has worked with athletes young and old to attain their goals at all levels, from County/Regional Championships through to European/World Championships. He has contributed to various camps and teams with Swim England and British Swimming. John’s philosophy is centred around a positive and honest training environment with a culture for hard work and collaboration with one another.
The newly founded Derby Excel SC now poses a new exciting chapter for all involved and John is looking forward to building on the outstanding foundation, collaborating with clubs within the County network and adding to the great history of swimming in Derbyshire.
Notable Experiences:
– Head Coach ‘Swim England / DiSE Camp’ – Dubai 2022
– Swim England Coach Developer – 2021-Present
– Chairman London Region Coaches Forum 2018-2021
– ‘Coach 2024’ Development Programme Selection
Glenn has been involved with swimming since the age of 5 years old, swimming competitively and representing Derbyshire at the Inter-County Championships. His attention turned to coaching, and he joined Derventio Excel in 2021, having previously been Head Coach at Ripley Rascals for 10 years. In his time there, he gained a wealth of experience coaching swimmers of all ages. He was fundamental to the development of many Derbyshire swimmers, including Olympian Jacob Whittle.
During his time at Ripley, he encouraged many young people to reach their potential through swimming including the pathway into DX. Many of these swimmers achieved Regional and National success with some progressing further to international swimming. Glenn has also coached swimmers at a young age group level to be the fastest in Britain at certain events and coached to a Regional and National level of competition.
Glenn comments: “I enjoy seeing swimmers develop from their early competitive swimming journey and encourage swimmers to be the best they can technically with their individual strokes, turns, starts and initial race skills and tactics”.
David started coaching at Derby Excel in 2023, having coached for a long time, since about 1998 with Derby Phoenix when his daughters swam there, and subsequently becoming head coach in 2012.
Over the years, he gained a lot of experience and had the opportunity to coach some talented swimmers onto the Derventio Excel Pathway and England Triathlon Talent Squads.
Some of his highlights are to have coached swimmers from Stage 5 to the British and English National Championships and an England Masters Champion.
Additionally, he has experience coaching para-swimming after helping Eleanor Simmons transition into competitive swimming before the Beijing Olympics and led to the privilege of coaching at Para-swimming England talent camps.
Jamie started with City of Derby aged 9 years old and 20 years later is still here! Having hung up his goggles aged 18, he transitioned into lifeguarding and later coaching. He has coached squads of all ages during his decade of coaching - from those new to swimming through to competitive swimmers at Regional and National level.
In more recent years, he has had the fortune to gain new experiences working with Para swimmers and returning to one of his passions: Masters swimming. Jamie says: “I am proud to coach one of the biggest and fastest growing Masters squads in the county as we grow to bigger and better things - with swimmers of all ages and abilities. I thrive on the challenge of getting everyone to their 'own Olympics'!”
Keith has been coaching for many years within the county. He started at Trident where he assisted the head coaches in moving the club forward to become a force, not only within the local area but Regionally – and then Nationally as the programme developed.
His input with the squad members was instrumental in the success of a generation of swimmers from Long Eaton who moved on to National honours. He was part of the coaching team at Long Eaton SC that formed from the merger of Trident & Treonte Swimming clubs in the town.
He then moved in early 2007 to Derventio and has had similar impact whilst coaching at the Derby based squad.
His vision along with his work ethic has helped to empower swimmers within the team to keep making forward strides.
Oli swam for Derventio Excel from 2016 to 2020, before leaving to study at Loughborough University. Once there, he began coaching and assisting with the University Performance squads, where he worked with high level National and International swimmers. Alongside this, he coached at Long Eaton, developing young County level swimmers.
In 2019, Oli joined Winchester as a Lead Squad coach, primarily to bridge the gap between Age Group swimming and Performance swimming. Whilst there, he developed swimmers from County standard through to Regional medalists and National qualifiers, as well as assisting the top groups, developing swimmers to International level. Throughout his coaching career, he has been fortunate to work with senior coaches including Andi Manley (who was previously a Derventio Excel Head coach), Ian Hulme, Ian Armiger and Zoe Baker, and has been able to learn and develop under expert guidance.
Becky started helping out at swimming lessons at age 14, and saw a different side to swimming which she loved and has never stopped since. She gained her Level 1 & 2 teaching, and Level 1 coaching. She joined Derby Excel in 2023.
