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Florida College (FL)
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25 years
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Qualified Private Coach
Passed Coach Course
Diane A.
Swimming
Background Check Verified
Learn MoreThis coach has passed an identification, basic background, and sex offender check.
Beginner/competitive/triathlete swimmer, experienced in instructing "Combat Stroke" required by Military/Navy Seals testing/Secret Service water rescue operations. View all coaching experience
This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.
Training Locations
- Eldorado Aquatic Center, 2301 North Miller Road, Scottsdale, AZ
- Kino Aquatic Center, 848 North Horne, Mesa, AZ
- Skyline Aquatic Center, 845 South Crismon Road, Mesa, AZ
Coach is willing to travel up to 25 miles
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Adults, Kids, Teenagers
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Sprint Freestyle, Open Water, Individual Medley, Distance Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke
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Technique, Starts, Sprinting, Relays, Pulling, Pacing, Open Turns, Kicking, Flip Turns
Credentials
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Florida College (FL)
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25 years
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Qualified Private Coach
Passed Coach Course
Services
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Adults, Kids, Teenagers
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Sprint Freestyle, Open Water, Individual Medley, Distance Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke
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Technique, Starts, Sprinting, Relays, Pulling, Pacing, Open Turns, Kicking, Flip Turns
More About Coach Diane
Swimming instructor for over 20 years- 1:1 private lessons. Specific to adults/triathletes/swim team swimmers. Experienced in correcting all swim strokes. Triathlon Coach for Ironman athletes, specialize in swim technique and endurance athletes. Swim Instructor/ Coached swim team athletes in Canada. Master Swim Coach credentials. Experienced in instructing "Combat Stroke" required by Military/Navy Seals testing. Instructed Secret Service mandatory water rescue operations .
Canadian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Assoc. - Level 2 Certification/
American Swimming Coaches Assoc.- Level 3 Certification
American Sports & Fitness Assoc.- TRIATHLON FITNESS COACHING
IRONMAN U COACH CERTIFICATION
US MASTERS SWIMMING LEVEL 1 COACH
A long distance swimmer. Ironman Triathlete completing 22 Ironman to date. Competed in many states and currently in the Ironman legacy program.
I have Coached many athletes in completing an Ironman. Coached many swimmers through Master Swim Programs and individual swim sessions.
Every session will be to evaluate the client's swim technique and if needed correct through demonstration and practice. An individual swim workout specific to the client would be created and sent to the client for them to practice. With the designed swim workout drills the client will begin to swim more efficiently, with limited effort and to build a good solid base to swim without drag and resistance.
Action Photos
Client Reviews
Lawrence (CoachUp client)
Diane is an excellent instructor and very experienced. She makes you feel comfortable during training sessions, praises you when you are doing well, and provides very pointed feedback when adjustments need to be made. I very much look forward to my sessions and would highly recommend Diane.
Clair (CoachUp client)
Diane was awesome. She assessed my daughters skills quickly and developed a plan to move forward.
Jocelyn (CoachUp client)
(no details provided)
Betty (CoachUp client)
Completed my first session with Diane... she was awesome and it went better than I could have hoped for. I signed up with Diane because I want to have more efficient strokes that will support my desire for far more distance with a lower effort. I told her my goals and we got to work immediately. She was positive but corrective. I was thankful for her experience and ability to break the stroke down into phases and focus specific time and drills on each phase. I learned so much in the first hour with her!!! I can't wait for our next session.
Adam (CoachUp client)
Highly recommend Coach Diane. After some initial evaluation she quickly diagnosed my swimming weaknesses and worked on those with some drills for me. She’s a great communicator and the session was highly productive because of it.
Jill (CoachUp client)
Diane was awesome.
I used Diane to provide me with a refresher & drills to improve my freestyle swimming.
Diane was prompt, friendly, responsive, & focused on my goals. She assessed my form & immediately had suggestions. I quickly improved in all areas, following her clear instructions.
She gave me a lot to work on. I am confident that I will continue to improve, as I practice what she taught me.
I will definitely hire Diane again in the future.
I wholeheartedly recommend her as a coach/instructor!!
Bonnie (CoachUp client)
I am so surprised how much I learned during my first lesson with Coach Diane! I was really nervous at first but she quickly put me at ease. I left feeling motivated because I felt the tweaks she made to my form improved my swim immediately. Now I can practice and am confident I will become a faster swimmer with improved endurance!
Mark (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane was great. She is very familiar about the race I'm training for, having completed it multiple times, and gave me specific tips and drills that will help me for the race. She also is very knowledable with swimming and provided specific drills based on my strengths and weaknesses that are helping me to feel more confident in the water, especially with my race being my first ocean swim.
Max (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is very knowledgeable. Diane easily identified areas of focus to improve my technique and provided drills to address and improve. She's got me on the right track!
Mary (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane was extraordinary ! The perfect balance of encouragement, direction and expertise! She came to my home, watched my strokes and tweaked them to make improvements I never would have known to address. Now for the practice ! I never did learn the butterfly, so she even braved that unknown course for me. I’m excited to have direction to transform my swimming into a more athletic discipline. 100% enthusiastic thumbs up for Diane!
Kathy (CoachUp client)
As a self-taught beginner lap swimmer, Diane brought me insight that will help me for years to come. She came to my home and provided guidance to correct both my freestyle and breaststroke. Her years of experience really showed, she was quickly able to identify where my strokes needed adjustment. I'll be calling her again once I get all the new tricks she taught me reliably incorporated into my routine.
Jose (CoachUp client)
I had an incredible session with Diane!! Extremely knowledgeable in all aspects triathlon training. Was able to point out my swimming inefficiencies right away and how to correct them. I am very impressed with how much I got out of just one session. Will definitely continue getting coached by her!!
Sabrina (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane made me feel confident in my swimming abilities and taught me great techniques. Coach Diane was patient, kind, and extremely helpful. I really appreciate the expertise in Coach Diane's lesson, I feel really grateful to have learned so much from her. Thank you so much, I feel like a much better swimmer now. I hope everyone who needs help with techniques can find this wonderful coach, I don't think it can get battle than her.
Lazaro (CoachUp client)
I had a fantastic lesson with Coach Diane. She helped me feel comfortable but also pushed me to achieve more in one lesson than I thought I could. Can’t wait for the next one.
Aj (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane was excellent. I gave her a few concerns I had before we ever met. She watched me swim gave me some pointers and evaluated how those were going. She coached me well and even pushed me more than I thought I could go. Would definitely recommend. I look forward to more sessions with her.
Grant (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane was great. Super knowledgeable and helpful. From our first session, I feel my technique has improved and will refer to her for future coaching. Thanks Diane!
Bill (CoachUp client)
I'm very glad I messaged Coach Diane! She was extremely responsive from the initial message and we were able to meet the next day. I haven't been in the pool for 6 years. But her instructions gave me the guidance I needed to quickly improve enough to handle the drills she gave me on my own. She knew exactly what elements to have me focus on without overloading me with too much. Now I can practice on my own time and I will definitely be coming back to her soon for more coaching. I've very happy I contacted her!
Joseph (CoachUp client)
Diane was very helpful and easy to understand. She provided useful drills and workouts that have significantly improved my swim. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to work on their form and improve their swim.
Darryl (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane gave me a great deal of confidence in our plans going forward. She came prepared to help me, focused on my goals, and prepared a plan to get me where I need to go. I have no hesitation in recommending her.
Elijah (CoachUp client)
Diane provided immediate feedback without being overwhelming, and helped me put together a routine that I can do by myself, so that I can become a more self-sufficient swimmer. So far, I'm very satisfied!
Sam (CoachUp client)
Diane is a rockstar! Her breadth of knowledge and experience make her an all-star coach. She has a lot of patience but more importantly knows how to effectively train. Highly recommended!!! A++++
Sarrah (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is an absolutely fantastic instructor for our 2.5 year old daughter. She is perfectly patient but pushes our daughter in kind, fun ways. Our daughter loved her and in 1 lesson I could see her doing more than what she was doing in group classes at a swim school. Very impressed with her techniques. Coach Diane was on time, asked questions and also checked in with us to make sure we were ok with her techniques. Our goal is pool safety and survival. Making sure our 2.5 year old can get to safety if she were to fall in anywhere. I highly recommend her and feel very fortunate to have found her!
Felicia (CoachUp client)
Diane was very helpful for my daughter. She provided her with some good techniques and excellent advice. Made some tweaks to her strokes to help increase speed and improve performance. Diane connected with her and encouraged her performance. I will definitely use Diane again.
David (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is a great swim coach and deserves more than five stars. I'm training for a triathlon and swimming was my weakest sport; in one session she identified and corrected all the issues with my form and made me a much stronger swimmer. I highly recommend Coach Diane!!
Yasmin (CoachUp client)
Had a great first meeting with Coach Diane. I felt comfortable asking any and all questions I had, and look forward to training with her.
Adam (CoachUp client)
Diane is great...great personality...great teacher...she is phenomenal at knowing how to communicate the fundamentals to grow ones confidence and relaxation in the water.
Julie (CoachUp client)
Had a wonderful time training with Diane today. She was very knowledgeable and very encouraging throughout the whole training! Thank you for a great experience !
Trevor (CoachUp client)
(no details provided)
Randy (CoachUp client)
Knowledgeable and personable!
A very good tune up session.
Very good teacher.
Thanks for your help Diane!
Alicia (CoachUp client)
I've had two sessions so far with coach Diane and can tell a huge difference! She's been great at helping me improve my form and breathing technique. She does a great job explaining things and writing out drills / plans for me to practice during the week.
Tolu (CoachUp client)
We had the first session last week and it went very well. We are looking forward to our next session this week with Coach Diane.
Jon (CoachUp client)
Couldn't be happier with Diane! Call it coaching, counseling, tough love, psychology or something else she's been a huge part of my improvement. With zero background/experience in swim, bike or run... she has helped me over the last year prepare for my first half ironman. Between coming to open swims, being at the races or available around the clock to answer all the questions.. you can't get much better.
She's the best coach you could ask for!
Carlos (CoachUp client)
I had my first swimming session with Coach Diane yesterday. I'd never been a good swimmer, but after my 1 hour session with coach Diane I learned what I have to work on to improve my swimming. She is very knowledgeable, understanding, and practical in her coaching approach. She also is very easy-going, which is a plus because it helped me build trust and feel comfortable asking many questions. I like to run, and coach Diane kindly offer to give me some free advice on how to improve my running technique as well. She has a lot of experience in training athletes, so I'm glad that I got such an experience coach, who not only knows the technical aspects of coaching, but the relational as well. I highly recommend coach Diane to both beginners as me, and competitive athletes.
April (CoachUp client)
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Deena (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is AMAZING!! I would highly recommend her! She taught my niece and nephew so much and helped build their confidence. My niece has learned so much and is becoming a good little swimmer, my nephew who wouldn't put his face in the water at the beginning of the first lesson, can now jump in the deep and swim to the side and get himself out. I am amazed at how well the kids did. Thank you SO much Coach Diane!
Bobbi (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is the best! She knows me, knows the challenges I face and works within the limitations to help me achieve my goals. .No other coach has been able to do this like Coach Diane. Had I not found her, I'd probably have given up by now.
Zainab (CoachUp client)
Loved working with coach Diane. She seems very understanding and knowlegable. I will recommend her to my friends without any reservation. She answered my questions and more. I know I will have great relation with her. Thanks again for having her on your list. She is valuable.
Ammie (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane has helped immensely in improving my swimming technique. I look forward to each of the training sessions with her as well as the swim workouts she creates for me. I feel more confident going into my next triathlon thanks to her coaching and advice.
Not only is she is a great resource of knowledge about triathlon events and the foundational skills of swimming, but her personality is perfect for coaching. She is encouraging and thorough while examining her athletes strengths and weaknesses. I would highly recommend her coaching services and look forward to working with her personally in the future!
Zoltan (CoachUp client)
She's great! Very easy to work with, and she fixed several bad habits regarding my swimming even during one single session.
Jeff (CoachUp client)
I really enjoyed my first session with Diane; it was exactly what I had hoped for when signing up. I'm a triathlete without a swim background, so Diane immediately pointed out a few things that I needed to correct. She has a wealth of knowledge for improving swim technique and for advising triathletes and a wonderful personality which makes learning fun. I can't wait for my next session.
Amy (CoachUp client)
I wish that I could give more than 5 stars!! We live in Northern California and come down to visit my parents in Mesa each year. Quality swim lessons are hard to come by where we're from so a week with Coach Diane when we're here is all my kiddos get. To tell the truth, I wouldn't have it any other way! She has such a great rapport with the kids and has an incredible way of calming the most intense fears. At the beginning of this week, my daughter was barely paddling across the pool and now, three lessons later, she's doing the freestyle and the backstroke. We love Coach Diane and cannot wait until our lessons next year!!!
Alissa (CoachUp client)
(no details provided)
Dean (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane did an excellent job of diagnosing the problems with my stroke and explaining how to fix them. She was able to convey her thoughts very well both in words and actions. She listened to me and took into account what I wanted to get out of the lesson and she made every effort to accommodate that. She accomplished my goal of explaining to me how to become a better swimmer and also provided me with drills and a detailed work out plan so that I can continue to improve. I'm planning on competing in triathlons and her experience in that area was very helpful
I would definitely recommend Coach Diane and I will use her again.
Cathi (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is amazing with small children. She taught my 3 year old Grandson last year and had him over his fears and swimming in just 4 sessions. This year she has the challenge of my 3 year old granddaughter and she is making amazing progress with her.
Sherry (CoachUp client)
Had a great training session with coach Dianae. Can already see huge improvements in my daughters form. She really enjoyed her session and is looking forward to next one. Thanks so much for the wonderful instruction!
Jeannine (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane was so good with my daughter who is on her first ever recreational swim team. Her team decided to go over the diving start during the last 10 minutes of the last practice before their first meet. In a panic, I was able to find coach Diane, I found a pool in the middle of Phoenix and we met their. When we arrived we found that the pool did not open until next week. Coach Diane was so incredibly gracious and offered to drive all the was to Surprise because she wanted to make sure my daughter was prepared for her first meet. She had her diving within the dust half of the practice and started working on her stoke too. She is a lovely lady, with a genuinely no d heart, not to mention her wealth of knowledge is swimming and instruction. I can't say enough about her or thank her enough. My daughter wanted to quit and now she is in love with the sport!
Catherine (CoachUp client)
We have been so grateful for Diane's coaching! She has been coaching our 3 year old for the past several weeks and he has been excelling! He trusts her, plays with her, and has learned survival swim skills to keep him safe! We will be forever grateful. I would recommend her to anybody! ~Catherine
Susan (CoachUp client)
Excellent coaching! Invaluable lessons on technique and her teaching style was fantastic.
Diane was very professional and knowledgable. I would highly recommend
Vered (CoachUp client)
We are very happy with coach Diane. She is amazing. My daughter learn and progress with her swimming skills really fast. Thank you Coach Diane for everything you do we are so glade we found you.
Jeanene (CoachUp client)
I'm very impressed with Coach Diane! After only two sessions, I'm seeing real improvement in my technique, efficiency, and speed. She is great at analyzing your stroke and assigning specific drills to correct problems. She also brings a wealth of knowledge on triathlon training and racing, beyond swimming. I'm excited to see the results future sessions bring.
Amy (CoachUp client)
Diane is a great coach. She demonstrates the techniques, observes you in action, and provides immediate feedback. Her teaching style is remarkable. I've learned so much from her and am recommending her to all my friends and family.
Cameron (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is a great coach, she is detailed in everything she explains and gets straight to the point of being able to see immediate strengths and weaknesses and knows how to build off them. She also is a personal person that can relate to many things couldn't have been more happier to pick her as my coach! Will be definitely be booking more sessions with her!
Sharon (CoachUp client)
Coach Diane is awesome! We feel very fortunate to have found her. I immediately felt very comfortable with her. Very knowledgeable and responsive! We are well on our way to becoming great triathletes with her guidance and direction!
Lyndsey (Testimonial)
Coach Diane was an awesome help with my daughters strokes. She watched her and understood how to help her improve by making tweaks to her form. I would definitely recommend her and will be using her again.
Reggie- Parent (Testimonial)
Got a 5 star rating. Posted on Yelp/ Facebook Sunsational Swim School did a great job of matching us with the perfect instructor for my 3 & 6 year old kids. We had a slow start at first, but after a few lessons, someone from the office followed up with us to see how things were going so far. After communicating our needs and expectations, they decided to match us up with another instructor to advance my kids and take them to the next level. In just the 1st lesson with our new instructor, Coach Diane Alkins, my 3 year old learned so much in that lesson. Coach Diane was exactly the instructor that we needed! My 3 year old had always been a little timid of the water, but in just 1 session, my 3 year old was comfortable with submerging underwater! As for my 6 year old, he already knew how to swim a little bit prior to enrolling in Sunsational. Our main goals for him were to learn the formal/technical swim strokes. I honestly don’t know if there is anyone better for the job than Coach Diane Alkins. She has so much experience with teaching/coaching swim and my kids loved her! Again, in just the 1st session with Coach Diane, my son learned proper techniques of kicking and arm motions, and most importantly, breathing techniques. In just 3 lessons with Coach Diane, my son was able to confidently do the freestyle,backstroke, and breaststroke. We love having Coach Diane as our instructor! She’s the best!
Tina Mercer- Parent (Testimonial)
I wanted to send a quick note regarding Coach Diane. She was kind enough to fit in my 5 yr old son for a few private swim lessons while we were in town. She exceeded our expectations. She is so sweet and has done so well with our son. James has shown huge progress with his swimming and fear of water. He enjoys his lessons so much he asked if she could move to Albuquerque with us. Diane thank you so much for all you have done for James. We recommend anyone who is in need of swim lessons to get in touch with Diane! She is amazing! Thank you thank you thank you! We will definitely be in touch next time we are in town. Sincerely, Tina Mercer
Karolyn Ferrin- Parent (Testimonial)
Swimming Instructor If anyone is looking for a swimming instructor, I highly recommend Diane Elkins. My 6 year old's have been enrolled in every kind of swim lesson, every summer for years without results. One child was swimming like a fish after a week. My other child was much more fearful and resistant, but after a few weeks Diane got the job done and now they are both excellent swimmers! She is a great coach for kids, fun, very encouraging, and firm enough to get the job done! Karolyn Ferrin
Ric- Swimmer (Testimonial)
My wife started taking swim lessons from Coach Diane almost two years ago after having initially started with another coach. I was immediately impressed. Coach Diane patiently takes the time to fully evaluate each of her athletes, learning about them not only as a student but as a person. In doing so, it allows her to coach the whole person - both body (physical technique) and mind (psychological technique). This combination makes her incredibly effective. So naturally when it came time for me to learn to swim, I didn't even consider going elsewhere. Like all successful coaches, Coach Diane watched in that first lesson the little that I could do and confidently announced that she had found things that she could work with! While the skeptic in me doubted her veracity for a minute, it wasn't long before she had proven the point. Within a very short time I was swimming - and just 4 months later competing in my first event.
Sharon/ Client (Testimonial)
I meant to share a compliment that I received this morning from someone doing laps. You told me yesterday that it would happen...He said, you're a great swimmer and look like a professional. Now, clearly he was not a professional but It made me feel good, I thanked him and explained that I had the most amazing coach!!! Thank you...please know that I tell you these things not for a pat on the back but to let you know what a great coach you are, how much I'm learning and that I appreciate you!!!
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