Liam McCloskey
Liam McCloskey
QUICK STATS
Birthday: July 11, 1997
Height: 6’2”
Hometown: Carlsbad, California
School: Auburn University
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
4x All-American
2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier
NCAA Individual Qualifier
All-SEC Second Team (2018)
EXPERIENCE
“Trust turns into results.”
That’s how intimately the coach –swimmer bond relates to performance, at least in Liam McCloskey’s eyes.
Few would be hesitant to trust an alum of one of the best college swim programs in the country, much less an Olympic Trials and NCAA qualifier–but if the stats don’t speak for themselves, the first five minutes with Liam will.
I’m partnered with Fitter and Faster because I believe in the collective goal of the company and the constant drive to get better every day. Our clinicians all preach striving for greatness. I think that’s a perfect example of the company that we are striving towards every day.
Instilling this ambition in each of his participants is Liam’s ultimate goal, one he pursues in a constructive and nurturing way.
“I love seeing the light bulb in kids’ heads go off when something in swimming finally clicks–whether it’s a stroke adjustment or a positive word of encouragement to inspire that drive.”
Asking swimmers to “surprise themselves in the pool,” Liam hopes to unearth the champion in each and every athlete he comes across. This starts by building from their natural strokes and strengths:
I am personally a big believer in swimmers ‘feel’ for the water. I believe in lots of sculling drills and body position drills to help increase body awareness and figure out the best positions for swimmers while in the water. I’m also a huge believer in underwater dolphin kicks. Dolphin kicking was the most dominant part of my swimming, and I try to help teach younger swimmers work on amplitude, lower back flexibility, and kicking from the core.
A master in the art of making fine adjustments that, in turn, substantially improve the flow of the stroke, Liam knows how to effectively communicate with the young swimmers he so relates to.
“I think my biggest ‘aha moment’ was when I was 14 years old, and I finally learned to utilize my arms off my start. I worked on my start consistently for the next 7 years, and it ended up making me one of the quickest off the blocks and the quickest to 15 meters.”
Hoping swimmers will similarly transfer these types of skills to practice, Liam preaches the importance of grit and consistency.
The number one thing I want to teach to kids is to continue to practice the drills we had talked about that day. As the expression goes, ‘Rome wasn’t built overnight.’ I think this phrase really does hold true with swimming and being consistent in practicing drills properly.
Rome wasn’t built overnight, but you can surely jumpstart this process over a weekend with Liam.
Despite his infectious passion and intensity, Liam knows precisely when it’s time to pull back and fully realize all of the fun that swimming has to offer. Reminding swimmers that “the sun will always rise the next day,” Liam hopes that participants will develop a long-lasting and healthy relationship with the sport that has so preciously touched his life.
“Swimming is always teaching us lessons. When we are out-touched by a hundredth of a second, we learn a technical lesson. When we win a race by 4 body lengths, we learn composure and humbleness.”
Start investing in your bright swimming future today. Sign up for a clinic with Liam!
