Josh White

QUICK STATS

  • Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • College: Kenyon College

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Coached Olympic Medalists, National Champions, NCAA individual champions and American Record holders
  • White’s swimmers won more than 40 Big Ten individual titles
  • Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology
  • PhD in Human Performance
  • One of the world’s foremost middle and distance/open water coaches
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Josh's next swim clinics

EXPERIENCE

Dr. Josh White joins Fitter & Faster following 15 years at the University of Michigan, where for the last 11 years, he was Associate Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division 1 swim teams. While at Michigan, the men’s team won 9 Big Ten titles and 1 NCAA team championship. The women’s team won 3 Big Ten team titles. Specializing in distance and middle-distance training, White’s swimmers won more than 40 Big Ten individual titles. 

Of his move to Fitter & Faster Josh says, “I want to exercise creativity, develop new programming, and share knowledge. Fitter & Faster is about serving the swim community through the collective experience of its coaches and clinicians, and I have knowledge that I want to share with a wider audience through specialized programming.”

Josh swam at Kenyon College where he studied physics. His curiosity about sport biomechanics led to a master’s degree in exercise physiology and a PhD in human performance.

Josh says, “As a physiologist, I train people, not events. The key to unlocking optimal performance is identifying what works best to train the individual, rather than training the individual for a specific event. Part of coaching is figuring out what training methodology works for each athlete.” Josh has parlayed that philosophy into a successful career as a coach, training multiple Olympians and Fitter & Faster Elite Clinicians including 1500-meter Silver Medalist Connor Jaeger and open water star Emily Brunemann.

As a Team USA World Championship Coach, Josh wants to fill a knowledge gap in the swim community. He says, “There is not a lot of information out there about open water swimming, yet there is specific knowledge that can make a big difference in open water athletes’ performance. Swimmers are showing up at national meets and looking around to see what others are doing, rather than having a resource where they can learn techniques, tips, and tricks to make them more successful in open water events.” Josh will bring that resource to Fitter & Faster through open water clinics. 

Another knowledge gap that Josh and Fitter & Faster want to fill is in regard to the college recruiting process, including how to empower athletes to pursue the right collegiate swim program for them. Of his own experience, Josh says, “Swimming in college was a formative experience in my life, and I want young athletes to find the right fit right away and have an incredible collegiate swimming experience.” As a college coach, Josh saw common mistakes among athletes and their families, and aims to offer advice and counseling about both the technical rules of college recruiting and how to find a program that is the right fit for the athlete. In addition to information sessions, Fitter & Faster will offer clinics that focus on skills swimmers often lack when entering a collegiate swim program, such as crossover turns and relay starts. 

 

Echoing the philosophy of Fitter & Faster, Josh says, “I want to make a difference in the swim community by inspiring young athletes, and giving them the tools they need to be successful.” 

Josh's next swim clinics

Youssef Elkamash
Bruno Blaskovic