Supporting local swimming for over 50 years

Coach Name: Adam Riley    Title: Head Coach

My name is Adam Riley and I'm the Head Coach at M&B.

My swimming and early coaching days were in Liverpool. At 12 years old I was part of a relay team (on the Butterfly leg) that won British Nationals, and that was certainly the height of my swimming career. From the age of 16, I was drifting into coaching, and by the age of 19, I was head coach of my local team and employed by City of Liverpool Swimming Club to run a senior development squad. By the time I was 23, I needed something different, and I took an opportunity to coach out in Zimbabwe (where I was born) and I had a fantastic 9-month season out there. From here, it was back to Liverpool as an assistant coach and joint head coach of the top squad.

I left City of Liverpool in 2006 to take a role with Olympic medallist Steve Parry, setting up the Learn to Swim arm of his business Total Swimming. That opportunity allowed me and my family to move up to Scotland in 2010, and I took a volunteer position with M&B. In 2014, the head coach left, and I was asked to take on the role and then I went to be assistant head coach at REN96 for the last 15 months.

I am very passionate about swimming, this club and helping swimmers achieve their goals. I have learnt a lot from my time with REN, and I am up for the challenge of lifting M&B to be one of the top clubs in Scotland once again.  

Coach Name: Craig Houston.    Title: Performance Development Coach

As a coach, I'm passionate about a progressive approach to swimming training - where the priorities are speed, skill and technique.  I see skills overlooked across sport at all levels in Scotland, in favour of a physiology first approach to training. With patience and precision, I believe you can develop exceptional skills without pushing physiological development too early.

As a swimmer, I was fortunate to train with, and compete against, many of the top swimmers in the world. I have a bronze medal from the 2006 Commonwealth Games, gold medals from the 2005 & 2006 US Opens, I represented Great Britain at the European championships, won multiple individual national titles and held senior Scottish and British records (including 50m & 100m freestyle long course and 50m freestyle short course). 

This is my second stint as a coach at M&B, having taken a break (to work in a different world!) for a number of years. Between 2009-2012, I led the development of swimmers of all ages and abilities, including Commonwealth Youth Games medallists, senior Scotland internationalists, British youth medallists, and several junior and senior Scottish national champions. 

Much has changed since then - swimmers, coaching staff, and even the fantastic new facility we are fortunate to call home - but the aim remains the same, namely, to provide a safe, fun, fair and progressive platform for all swimmers to achieve their full potential.

Coach Name: Pamela Gavin    Title: Coach

My passion for swimming started when I was 6 years old when I loved learning to swim. I started competitive swimming when I was 8 years old with Stirling ASC then moved to Perth ASC when I was 10.  I stopped competitive swimming when I went to university to study Physiotherapy.

My passion for swimming was rekindled in 2004 when I started coaching with M&B swimming club. I started as a volunteer then went on to do my level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications.

I appreciate the enjoyment, friendships and skills I have had from swimming and endeavour for those I coach to get the lifelong skills and enjoyment I have gained. My personal goal is to enable the swimmers I coach to grow in confidence, self worth as well as develop their swimming.