Swim coach in The Villages turns ardour into goal

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Golf, pickleball and lazy days within the pool.

Millions of seniors flock to the Sunshine State to stay out their golden years — 4.5 million, based on AARP.

Nearly 100,000 of them name The Villages in Central Florida house.

And one all-star coach turned his ardour into goal, coaching athletes around the globe.

“We like being outside. And where we came from, you’re cooped up for five months out of the year,” mentioned Dennis Dickard.

He and his spouse, Lisa, love hitting the open highway on their Harleys, one motive why the Ohio natives packed up and moved to sunny Florida 12 years in the past.

But today, the Dickards are sticking a lot nearer to house, spending most days on the Citrus Memorial YMCA in Citrus Hills.

“I did not swim a lot,” Dickard mentioned. “Splash around in the backyard pool. That was about it.”

Until final October, when the then-64-year-old gross sales rep determined to sort out a brand new problem. Possibly his greatest but.

“I couldn’t swim 25 meters without having to hang on to the wall, without trying to catch my breath when I got down there,” Dickard defined. “And I decided next year maybe I will do the Olympic Distance Triathlon, I’m going to need some help.”

Dickard discovered that assist about an hour away in an unlikely place.

A preferred espresso store known as The Standard in Spanish Springs in The Villages.

Frank Sole has coached each swim stage over his 30-year profession.

“I’ve coached from the master level all the way down,” Sole mentioned.

From school athletes to seniors, even some well-known faces like Jesse Itzler, influencer and co-founder of Marquis Jet.

Most lately, the 71-year-old New Jersey native constructed a swim membership at The Villages Charter School in Middleton till again surgical procedure sidelined him. But not for lengthy.

“I can work from my computer, I can work from home, I can work from Disneyland if I want to,” Sole mentioned.

But as an alternative of retiring, the grandfather of 4 began “Sole Swim Solutions,” teaching grownup swimmers like Dennis on-line.

“He was a fish out of water,” Sole defined. “It really wasn’t coming together for him. He tried to do it on his own and then he realized, which I admire him for, he knew he needed a coach,” Sole mentioned. 

Like all Sole’s college students, Dickard despatched him a collection of movies swimming.

Sole then makes use of many years of expertise on deck to create personalized coaching plans.

“I would do the evaluation of his video.” Sole mentioned. “Alright, we’re heading in the right direction. What’s going on here, we need to do this, do that. Get his hips around more. Do wide entry of the hands,” he defined.

“The way he teaches and the drills he makes you do make it a whole lot easier and a whole lot better. It’s been very effective,” Dickard mentioned.

“Dennis is an example of what is possible for each and every one of us at any point in our lives. It doesn’t have to be physical,” Sole mentioned. “‘I can do this. I am capable. I am able to succeed at this level.’“

Valuable classes for any age from a coach with a coronary heart for serving to others…and a soul for swimming. 

“I think as one ages, we have to come to the realization that we’re not 25 anymore. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still go after goals and live out ambitions,” Sole mentioned. “If they trust the process and believe in the process, we’ll get them to where they want to be. Make it a good day.”

Sole has written a guide known as “The 5 ‘B’ Methods to a Successful Triathlon Swim.”

If you’d like extra details about Sole Swim Solutions, name (480)-252-3552.