Meet Our Coaches
Coaching is an art form and a science. To be a good coach takes so much more than a degree or having done it before. Quite often coaching is an amalgamation of roles including but not limited to manager, physiologist, psychologist, teacher, and personal trainer.
Such a diverse array of needs requires a diverse and committed coaching team. If you train with Durham City you have the combined knowledge of all of our coaches and athlete support personnel at your disposal. We know that not every coach suits every athlete; that’s why we structure our club the way we do. We know that what works for one person won’t work for everyone; that’s why we support our coaches learning and promote development and a growth mindset.
Take a look at some of the profiles below to meet our team coaches.
Calum Macgregor (AKA Coach Cal)
My career in Aquatics spans almost two decades with a verifiable track record of delivering and implementing swimming coaching & teaching for aspiring learners and competitive swimmers to all ages and abilities, from grassroots to National champions in the UK and Australia.
I started my coaching career as a volunteer squad coach and worked my way up the ranks becoming performance director, head coach and Team Australia's Head Men's coach for the All Star Championships.
Favorite Quote
Vision without action is merely a dream, Action without vision just passes the time, Vision with action can change the world
Hobbies & Interests
• Swimming • History
• AFL • Formula 1
• Surfing • Music
• Jiu Jitsu • Sports Psychology
• Karting • Child Psychology
• Travelling • Biomechanics
Coaching Philosophy
The Process-Driven Approach & Growth Mindset
Qualifications
• ASA Level 1 & 2
• Level 3 in Excellence in Sports Performance
• ASCTA (Australian coaching license) Bronze & Silver Coach license
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Adrian Holmes- Morris
Coaching:
Education:
Swim England Assistant Coach and Full Coaching Certificate
Swim England County Level Coaching at Northumberland and Durham Swim Camp
Having originally been invited to become a swim coach by the then Head Coach, I have now been fulfilling this role for just over 4 years. Having had no background in swimming at all (I was a rugby player for 10 years and then a rugby coach for 12 years) I am the most surprised that I have ended up at Durham City Aquatics as a swim coach! As the Head Coach at the time said to me ‘We can teach you the technicalities of swimming, we can’t teach you how to be good at coaching children’.
I have completed my Assistant Coach and full Coach certification with Swim England, and now find myself leading several squads in the Competitive and Performance areas at DCA. I have also been part of the team delivering the County level training at the N&D swim camps, to our outstanding swimmers at 12-13 years of age, over the past two years, and have been invited to participate again this season (2024/2025).
My key identification of being a good coach is that every swimmer attending my sessions should finish their session knowing they have worked hard, improved, but above all enjoyed themselves, walking away with a smile on their face and wanting to come back again the next day.
Steve Ward
Steve has been with the club since the “dawn of the millennium”. He has a whole world of experience not just from coaching swimming, but also from learn to swim, officiating and water polo.
After studying a BSc in Civil Engineering at the Heriot Watt University, Steve returned to Durham where he is now a Consulting Engineer and a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. He was ‘roped into’ coaching when the club was looking for volunteers way back when his own children swam for the club.
Steve says, “Seeing the satisfaction of wonderful people celebrating their achievements, large and small, and knowing that you may have contributed in some small part to their skills is so rewarding.” Adding that “Engineering is about concrete, steel and paperwork, coaching is about people”
After his years of service, managing a team of swimming teachers, delivering courses to officials and coaching all as a volunteer; the club awarded Steve with the Lifetime Member Award in recognition of all he has done and is continuing to do for the club and the sport. He was also the clubs nominee for the Contribution to Sport Award.
Steve is currently coaching the Masters Squad and within the Entry Squads and remains on hand to answer all of our technical queries.
Qualifications
Swim England Coach (L2)
Swim England Teacher (L2)
Licensed Swim England Official (Swimming)
Licensed Swim England Referee (Water Polo)
RLSS National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches
Safeguarding
DBS
Maggie Ward
Coaching:
Education:
Sam Johnson
Coaching:
Responsible for our Sprint and Junior Sprint Squads
Education:
Swim England Assistant Coach
Level 2 Coaching
Craig Rees
Coaching:
Ethan Pringle (Performance Nutritionist)
I recently finished a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition in 2023, in which I started working in professional football, rugby and basketball as a club nutritionist helping athletes improve and perform at their best through nutrition.
“I have been with Durham City Aquatics since February 2024 and have loved making a nutrition programme for the athletes centred around improving health and performance in and out the pool.
Seeing all of the different parts that influence performance is amazing. From coaching to nutrition, psychology and strength and conditioning, all of the intricate parts that come together to determine how an athlete performs on a given day is exciting and Durham CA have been a fantastic enabler to allow members of the multidisciplinary team to thrive and provide a top class experience to their athletes.
Qualifications:
BSc Sport and Exercise Science
MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition
ISAK Level 1
Tom Lishman (Sport Psychologist)
Beginning working with the club in July 2024, Tom is a Chartered Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC) Sport Psychologist. Tom completed a undergraduate and postgraduate study in Sport Psychology at Northumbria University before progressing onto the training to be a registered Sport Psychologist.
Tom is also studying for a PhD in mental health and sport psychology, working with other sports teams in the North East as well as a part-time lecturer at Northumbria University.
Tom's work involves supporting athletes to perform at their best, through developing awareness of key psychological skills that promote performance. This includes areas such as confidence building, preparing for competition and managing thoughts. His work also covers the mental health of athletes and how they can take care of themselves.
Qualifications
Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC) Registered Sport Psychologist
British Psychological Society Chartered Sport Psychologist
MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology
Mental Health First Aid
Safeguarding
