playnext.fm

Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast · Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast

Off The Blocks with Ash Delaney

·1 hr 36 min·2 clips
Ash Delaney proactively decouples athlete identity from sport, requiring non-swimming activities during school and planning post-retirement careers.
Off The Block Swimming Podcast host Robbie Cox interviews Ash Delaney, Olympic medalist and head coach at St. Andrews Swimming Club (Sunshine Coast, Queensland). Ash has transformed a previously lower-ranked program into Australia's top 10 in four years by implementing clear squad structure progression with age-appropriate session volumes (never overloading young swimmers). The episode covers Ash's recent success: age group nationals top-10 finish, 8-9 gold medals, multiple Australian and New Zealand junior team selections, a breaking Australian relay record, and two age groupers also qualifying for World Juniors. Ash emphasizes squad structure clarity, coach team alignment on non-negotiables, and avoiding premature specialization—kids doing 8 sessions at age 12 burn out by 14-15. He discusses balancing open/senior athletes (Isaac Cooper, Ben Hance), age groupers, school commitments, and Paralympics involvement. A key philosophical anchor: Ash decouples athlete identity from sport, teaching kids they need non-swimming activities and planning post-retirement careers. By Grade 11, conversations shift to education and life goals, respecting both swimming-focused and university-focused athletes. Ash shares his move from Melbourne to Sunshine Coast and how family-friendly lifestyle and school partnership enabled program growth. He's emotional about upcoming World Juniors in Romania—his first international team coaching experience.

As heard by us

A grounded coaching chat about standards, culture, and the habits underneath them.

Ash Delaney's chat on Off The Blocks lands on the basics of how a serious swimming program is built and held to standard. Robbie Cox frames him as an Olympic medalist who has gone on to coach athletes to Olympic Games and world champs, and the discussion stays close to what that…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a straight talker on how elite swimming standards hold together.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on
Apple PodcastsSpotify
Play clips from this episodeMore from Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast