HEAD COACH: PAUL HARDMAN
Paul Hardman has been the Head Coach of Willoughby Swim Club since 2014. Paul possesses an abundance of swimming knowledge and experience, holding a Platinum licence in swimming coaching, the highest level attainable and being one of the very few in NSW to achieve this qualification.
Paul is a two time Australian Olympic Coach, and has been selected as a national team coach for World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
He has won several accolades for his achievements to date including NSW coach of the year on 2 occasions and Age group coach of the year on 1 occasion. He is a recipient of the Australian Sports medal in 2000 for contributions to the sport of swimming and appears on the ASCTA honour roll for FINA World Champion coaches.
Paul holds a diploma in teaching Physical Education and importantly maintains an exceptional degree of enthusiasm and dedication to the sport of swimming. A passionate advocate for the sport of swimming, Paul continues to enjoy coaching and guiding swimmers forward in the sport.
SENIOR COACH: HAYDN BELSHAW
Haydn is a Performance (formerly Gold) licence coach and has extensive knowledge of the industry; previously as an athlete/coach, and leading teams of people within Club and commercial operating environments for over 20 years. His qualifications include a Master’s in Education (Sports Coaching), Level 3 Managing National and National League Teams, and a Diploma in Business and Sports Management. Since 2006, Haydn has been a Board member of the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association – NSW Branch, and held positions on numerous committees with Swimming NSW and NSWIS, including the High Performance Committee. Over the years, he has also been involved in Area, State and National Swim Camps in swimming, water polo, and surf lifesaving.
For 3 years leading into the Rio Olympics, and then through to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Haydn was the High Performance Manager/Consultant to the Fiji Swimming Executive Committee providing advice on strategies, camps, and competition. Haydn previously worked with NSW’s number 1 Surf Lifesaving Club (Newport), coaching three professional Nutri-Grain athletes, six Australian Team members including two World Champions, and over ten NSW State representatives.
SENIOR COACH: RUDY BURATTINI
Rudy is a Bronze licence coach with more than 20 years coaching experience who has completed studies in sports science and coaching. Rudy is known as a drill master with expansive knowledge on specific drills utilised to develop and master great technique. A strong understanding of human physiology allows Rudy to plan and execute targeted sessions to achieve desirable outcomes. A proponent of allowing the swimmer to develop gradually, supports our philosophy of nurturing the athletes towards their late teens where we know they are better equipped to take on the challenges of the sport at the elite level.
Rudy has been involved with Willoughby Swim Club since 2005 and continues to play a vital hand in the development of all of Willoughby’s elite swimmer and club success.
CO COACHES
Coach Hardman, Coach Belshaw and Coach Burattini work together at all level of the Willoughby Swim Club program and the Willoughby Swim Squads program. Collaboratively sharing ideas, coaching philosophy, and coaching responsibilities, they stand together as team coaches supporting all athletes at all level. Their expectation is that all swimmers will engage all coaches throughout their competitive swimming journey.