Matthew Whelan
Matthew Whelan
QUICK STATS
- Birth date: August 17, 2000
- Hometown: Richmond, VA
- Club Team: NOVA of Virginia Aquatics
- College: Duke University, The George Washington University
- Coaches: Dan Colella, Brian Thomas
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier
- Atlantic 10 Champion
- Duke University record holder
EXPERIENCE
Matthew Whelan, Atlantic 10 Champion in the 50-yard freestyle and Duke University record holder in the 200-yard butterfly, finds fulfillment in coaching. He says, “It has always been my desire to help people get better at swimming. Whether it is my summer league team, college team, or family and friends, I am always watching for ways I can help others improve.” The atmosphere Whelan experienced in college was one of collaboration and open communication, with teammates regularly discussing stroke technique and opportunities for improvement. “Conversations with peers is an important way to learn and develop, since coaches cannot see everything.”
Matthew is an effective Fitter & Faster clinician because of the importance he places on communication, saying “Even the best ideas and technique advice are rendered useless without an effective way to convey them to the athletes. I think the best way to teach is by first watching.” Matthew spends time in the pool with swimmers at Fitter & Faster camps, closely watching swimmers execute drills to identify areas for technique improvement. He also likes to break stroke technique down into individual elements. “Working on several things at once is often overwhelming. Not everyone learns the same way, so I find explaining topics in different ways helps increase understanding. I then like to repeat drills to ensure retention of what clinic participants learn.”
A lifetime student of the sport, Whelan says that the resources available to swimmers are vast and can be impactful. He says, “Being able to watch race videos and podcasts where pros talk about their stroke was crucial to my success. Another great tool is video review. Constantly watching video of my stroke, underwaters, turns, and starts helped me pinpoint areas of improvement.” Matthew also learned the importance of consistency. “There is a lot of power in consistency. Instead of solely trying to make your good days better, work on bettering your bad days.”
