We are fortunate to have one of the most highly qualified coaching teams in our region. 

Malcolm Casey is the Head Coach of the Club and is based in Thornbury but divides his time between the Thornbury and Stroud training locations. Caroline Robertson is the Deputy Head Coach and is responsible for leading the coaching team at Stroud. Jane Vallis and Petrina Casey are both coaches centred around the Thornbury Pools

Malcolm oversees the whole coaching programme. He started his coaching career with Bristol North before taking over at Thornbury some ten years ago. Under his guidance Thornbury has been one of the most consistently successful swimming clubs in the County. He has coached 22 swimmers to podium finishes at national competitions, including an overall BAGCAT Champion. He taught Karen Lee to swim when he was at Bristol North and took her to the National Championships where she won gold. She went on to Loughborough University and represented GB in the Athens Olympics. He has also coached one of the country's Paralympians, Kate Grey.

Caroline Robertson is a Level 3 Club Coach. Caroline started off as Stroud's Assistant Head Coach in 2006 and was appointed Head Coach in April 2008. She has many years of experience poolside and trained under Carol and Dave Hicks, who were GB Backstroke and Synchro Coaches. Caroline was junior development coach at Biggleswade Swimming Club and coached the Mid Beds Swim Squad until 2001, when she moved to Gloucestershire and joined the Brockworth coaching team.

Jane Vallis is also a Level 3 Club Coach and has been coaching alongside Malcolm for many years at Thornbury. She is very experienced in coaching swimmers at Age Group and Youth levels. She has also spent time on the County Swimming Committee and been responsible for the County Team at competitions.

Petrina (Trina) Casey is also qualified as a level 3 Club Coach, qualifying when she was 18. She went on to graduate in Sports Education in July 2003. She swam competitively at Regional level and still trains today. With coaching placements with Amanda Booth at Bath University, Ben Pollard at the City of Bristol Swimming Club, Jackie Gleed at Cheltenham Swimming Club and after her degree with Wayne Lawes, Head Coach at Haileybury Waterlions, near Melbourne, Trina has observed and been actively involved in a variety of swimming programmes where she has witnessed best practice. She coached voluntarily at Thornbury Swimming Club for many years before becoming a permanent member of the Coaching Team. In October 2009 she was selected as one of ten coaches from the South West - following 40 applications from the region, and 20 short listed and interviewed - to be part of the ASA Advanced Coaching Scheme. She will be part of a group of 70 other coaches from across the country who will be given a personalized, individual support package to help them develop their ambitions as professional, performance coaches. Their development will include coaching and attending regional talent camp programmes, mentoring, networking visits, visits to Beacon programmes and various specific skills support. In selecting Trina the ASA believe they have a very strong and passionate coach who will make a significant difference to coaching in our region and in particular to Severnside Tritons. Trina is also a Royal Life Saving Society Trainer and Assessor and runs NPLQ and National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches.

Scott Nelson, a former Stroud swimmer works alongside Caroline at the Stroud pools. He started coaching at the beginning of September 2008. Scott started his swimming career with Stroud Swimming Club at the age of 6 and was a part of the club for the best part of 15 years. He competed at most events including Speedo league up to southwest Div-1, Cotswold league and GCASA Championships. He also entered a number of open meets as part of the Typhoon swimming team. Currently he runs the daily operations at the University of Gloucestershire fitness suite and facilities. He has been training with the University's swimming team for the past five years and achieved his goal of competing at the 2009 European Masters Championships in Spain! 

Rebecca Telford is a Level 2 Teacher and runs the Learn to Swim Programme in Stroud. She has been a level 1 teacher for many years and qualified as a Level 2 teacher in 2009 after attending an ASA course at Kelly College. She also helps as an assistant on poolside alongside the coaching team and also covers for coaches when necessary. She has a young daughter in the Club.

We have a number of parents and swimmers who are qualified: Sian Wyn-Jones, Wendy Price and Rachel Roberts are all level 2 teachers. Rob Seaman is a Level 1 coach and Katie Johnston is a UKCC level 1 coach and also a level 1 teacher and often teaches at our summer swim camps. The club also has a number of swimmers who are qualified to teach including Vicki Symmons, Ben Woodman, Sian Basham, Holly Robertson, Dan Woodward, Alice Porter, Ben Jones, Amy Robertson and Megan Roberts.

The club has strength in depth for the future. Parents will also help out on poolside where a coach needs a hand timing or recording data. We sometimes use students from Hartpury College, who volunteer poolside for the club.

Occasionally, we use teachers and coaches from outside the club, such as Phil Millard, who was Head Coach at Swindon Tigersharks and has been advising the Club and Coaching Team over the last two years. We also use Kim Owen, who is a level 2 teacher and an experienced tri athlete and also a sport physiotherapist. Both Phil and Kim know some of our swimmers quite well and so they fit into the coaching team even at short notice.

We also have a number of qualified officials among our membership, including a senior referee and starter Sue Jones. Sarah Perry, Vanessa Sprague, Caroline Wilkins, Leigh Moody and Sian Wyn-Jones are qualified judges (J2). Denise Young, Carol Johnston, Rachel Roberts, Sarah Hale, Richard Browning, Jim Tierney, Rob Seaman, Carol Dunlop, Donna Ball and Helen Bartholomew are all qualified as timekeepers and inspectors of turns (J1).

Finally, the Club has always been very committed to the ASA Young Volunteering Scheme. Each year we have a group of Young Volunteers who have follow the ASA Young Volunteering Programme, which gives them an insight into all aspects of swimming. We hope that they will all go on to take teaching and/or coaching qualifications.

Anyone with any teaching skills in swimming, land training or nutrition is always welcome to help within the Club. Please speak to one of the coaches or a committee member. Alternatively, if you are interested in gaining a qualification in teaching or coaching swimming or may wish to update qualifications already held, there will be opportunities for you to do so within the Club. We have a Workforce Coordinator who can help you find the right course. Anyone helping poolside must have a valid CRB check.