LEAD BY EXPERIENCEOUR COACHES
COSSS has a proven track record of success in teaching and training swimmers for each squad.
HEAD COACHMIKE TAYLOR
Mike oversees the #TeamSteel program. He is lead coach to the Performance 1 squad swimmers and shares their dreams and passion for having international success. Apart from a year away in Bath working at their NTC, Mike has been at City of Sheffield for many years as a swimmer and now as our Head Coach. Mike has coached every level of our program and knows what it takes to be the best. Mike has coached many Junior and Senior Internationals for CoSSS as well as appearing on many international teams as coach and will continue to do so.
ASSISTANT HEAD COACHDAN COCKING
Dan looks after the Age Group Squads in the club and liaises heavily with our Age Group Assistants in order to run a tight ship and allow swimmers to make their way through our program. Dan has coached all levels of the sport and has now been able to excel here at COSSS developing our Elite Junior swimmers. Most recently Dan was named as the North East Regions ‘Coach of the Year’ in 2019 and was named as part of the coaching team that went to the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.
PERFORMANCE COACHJACK MOULTON
Jack joined us in September 2018 while studying at Sheffield Hallam University, now with a BSc 2:1 in Sport Development with Coach he is now here to stay. Jack swam for many years as a junior in Birmingham and brings a great perspective to the club from a different region. Jack can be seen regularly working on most groups at COSSS but has a main focus on the middle band of Age Group swimmers developing them towards the National Squad level of the program. Along with coaching our junior swimmers Jack also leads on our Performance 2 squad. Jack coaches as it allows him to carry on learning and developing as a person and in his career, as well as coming up with new ideas that he can then put into practice in the sessions.
AGE GROUP LEADLAUREN BURKINSHAW
As a former Freestyle and Backstroke specialist Lauren started at COSSS as a swimmer when she was 7 years old. Swimming at national level until 15 years old when she decided the poolside was for her and her love of coaching stared. Lauren has all the credentials needed to allow swimmers to successfully pass through our program. Lauren mainly works with the younger age group swimmers here at COSSS, allowing the swimmer to have a solid and consistent base of technique and attributes before progressing up the ranks.
AGE GROUP LEADCHARLOTTE HOLMES
Charlotte is a former competitive swimmer for COSSS and swam in our Senior Elite squad. She began swimming competitively at 10 years old and swam for 7 more years at a very high standard. Charlotte made here way through all the squads at COSSS and moved into the Elite program at 14 years old. At 12 years old she gained her first of many national times and at 13 years old her first British trials time, going on to compete at European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic trials. Retiring in May of 2016 she started coaching and is still loving it to this day. Now with a degree in PGCE Early Years and Primary Education with QTS under her belt and her past experience, Charlotte can really help develop athletes to go on and achieve.
NATIONAL SQUAD ASSISTANTLUKE HOWDLE
Luke started swimming at a local club at a young age before moving to Nova Centurion at 12 years old. He made his first British Championships in 2010 and the rest is history. With National titles and medals coming out of his ears Luke made the decision to join COSSS in 2014 while studying BSc Economics at the University of Sheffield. After racing all over the world including Holland, France, Spain and the US he decided to hang up his goggles in 2017 after his last British Championships where he won 200m Butterfly Gold and 200m Freestyle Silver, a great way to round off a great career.
After swimming Luke has focused his efforts on triathlons and has competed in Ironmans around the world to show his real TeamSteel.
His Career highlights include his first national time aged 13 in 200m breaststroke and winning the British National Championships in his last ever race.
After swimming Luke has focused his efforts on triathlons and has competed in Ironmans around the world to show his real TeamSteel.
His Career highlights include his first national time aged 13 in 200m breaststroke and winning the British National Championships in his last ever race.
PERFORMANCE ASSISTANTKAREN CLIFTON
Karen is a former GB International swimmer and represented GB at European Juniors aged 15. She then went on to swim for GB at the age of 16 all the way to retirement at the age of 22, Karen pulled on the GB hat and goggles at the 1986 & 1990 Commonwealth Games, the 1986 and 1991 World Championships, European Championships in 1987 and 1989, finishing off her accolades with swimming at the 1988 Olympic Games. Karen started her swimming career in Norwich before moving the Sheffield to swim in 1987.
After retiring, Karen became a full time Assistant Coach at City of Sheffield running our junior program from 1990 – 1998. Since then she has assisted on many squads with many coaches and is currently one of our Performance 1 assistants working alongside Performance Coach Mike Taylor. She stated, “It is an honour to be involved assisting coaches and being part of so many swimmers' journeys”.
After retiring, Karen became a full time Assistant Coach at City of Sheffield running our junior program from 1990 – 1998. Since then she has assisted on many squads with many coaches and is currently one of our Performance 1 assistants working alongside Performance Coach Mike Taylor. She stated, “It is an honour to be involved assisting coaches and being part of so many swimmers' journeys”.
PERFORMANCE ASSISTANTBEN LAFFERTY
Ben has been involved in swimming in many ways, as an athlete he swam at City of Sheffield, City of Leeds and Stockport Metro. Ben swam for many years before finally getting his breakthrough at 27 years old when he was selected to compete at the Commonwealth Games, as well as swimming at World University Games. Ben is a very established coach and has been working around swimming for many years, starting as an Age Group Coach at Stockport Metro as well as being in Head Coach positions in Hampshire and in Doha, Qatar. The best poolside moments for Ben are seeing swimmers achieve something they have been working towards all year, for example qualifying for Nationals or when they make their first National Team, “always special”.
AGE GROUP ASSISTANTHANNAH WARDLE
Hannah, like so many of our other coaches, is an ex swimmer, she joined COSSS in the lead up to the 2012 British Championships and to start studying a degree in Childhood and Educational Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. Hannah joined our program at the Senior Elite level, formerly she swam at City of Leeds for 10 years. Hannah’s swimming career has many accomplishments including being a multiple National Finalist and Medalist as well as competing at the 2009 European Junior Championships in Prague.
After retiring from the sport Hannah continued to serve COSSS as a Lead Age Group Coach where she pulled the strings on our JO2 Squad for 5 years. Hannah has gone on to get a PGCE in Primary Education and is currently a full time Primary School Teacher with a specialism in PE and uses this to drive the importance of learning to swim across her academy.
After retiring from the sport Hannah continued to serve COSSS as a Lead Age Group Coach where she pulled the strings on our JO2 Squad for 5 years. Hannah has gone on to get a PGCE in Primary Education and is currently a full time Primary School Teacher with a specialism in PE and uses this to drive the importance of learning to swim across her academy.
AGE GROUP LEADMILLIE GLOSSOP
Mille has been in our program for all of her swimming career from County level to Nationals, she’s done it all. After hanging up her goggles Millie decided to volunteer on poolside with our younger groups. Through the years Millie has gained knowledge and experience from the other coaches on poolside and is now ready to lead our Junior Olympic 3 Squad
PERFORMANCE NUTRITIONISTLAURA SANDFORD
Laura has previously completed internships with Nova Centurion swimming club, Loughborough Sport (men’s cricket, badminton and netball), as well as working in gyms with general population clients.
She has her own business ‘The Midlands Nutritionist’, working with athletes and members wanting to lose weight.
Laura is currently working at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Leeds with scholarship athletes, alongside her work with COSSS. She is training to become a dietitian at Sheffield Hallam commencing in January 2020 to increase her skillset to be able to help athletes, as well as work with those with clinical issues in the NHS. As a performance dietitian Laura would like to work more with athletes affected by relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S).
When working with athletes, Laura likes to work with those who have a positive attitude and are open to learning and applying new skills. Athletes who are independent, keen to develop and great at communicating are great to work with.
She has her own business ‘The Midlands Nutritionist’, working with athletes and members wanting to lose weight.
Laura is currently working at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Leeds with scholarship athletes, alongside her work with COSSS. She is training to become a dietitian at Sheffield Hallam commencing in January 2020 to increase her skillset to be able to help athletes, as well as work with those with clinical issues in the NHS. As a performance dietitian Laura would like to work more with athletes affected by relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S).
When working with athletes, Laura likes to work with those who have a positive attitude and are open to learning and applying new skills. Athletes who are independent, keen to develop and great at communicating are great to work with.
HEAD OF S&CSOPHIE HARVEY
Sophie is our S&C Lead Coach and mainly works with our Performance and National groups, delivering tailored specific land-based programs to facilitate the hard work done in the pool. Sophie has a 1st class Degree in Sport and Exercise science from Sheffield Hallam University and is currently studying a Masters in Strength and Conditioning Coaching. She started off as a Junior Lead and is now a Graduate intern at Sheffield Hallam University, working with a wide range of sports and athletes. Sophie completed a placement at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Sheffield, working with Swimming, GB Boxing, Wheelchair Basketball, Para Table tennis and Badminton. As well as this Sophie has also completed an internship with Quinnipiac University in America, working with their first division Ice Hockey and Basketball teams. Sophie has a wealth of knowledge and experience and will be great for the athletes throughout our program.
When starting up a new relationship with an elite athlete Sophie looks for someone that will take instruction well and listen to feedback, while giving 100% effort even when tired.
When starting up a new relationship with an elite athlete Sophie looks for someone that will take instruction well and listen to feedback, while giving 100% effort even when tired.