The Swim Ulster Coaching Conference took place on Saturday, 10 January 2026, in Bangor, attracting a record number of coaches from across the province for a day of learning, collaboration and practical development.
The event was hosted across two excellent venues, with Swim Ulster extending sincere thanks to Glenlola Collegiate and Bangor Aurora for generously providing their facilities and helping to make the conference such a success.
The conference saw unprecedented engagement from clubs, with 139 registrations and representation from 25 clubs, many of which sent multiple coaches. Several clubs even cancelled regular training sessions to ensure their full coaching teams could attend — a clear demonstration of the commitment to coach education and athlete development across the region.
Clubs represented on the day included Alliance, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Bangor, Coleraine, Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Kilkeel, Larne, Leander, Lecale, Limavady, Lisburn, Lurgan, Marlins, Mid-Ulster, Olympia, Portadown, Riversdale Otters, Sliabh Beagh, South Lake Masters, Strule Dolphins, Swilly Seals and Swim Belfast.
Swim Ulster extends a huge thank you to all clubs for their outstanding support of the conference.
The conference featured an impressive lineup of speakers, delivering a mix of technical insight, coaching philosophy and real-world experience.
The day opened with Gary Stoops, European Aquatics Technical Swimming Committee Secretary and International Referee, who provided valuable guidance on competition rules, disqualifications, protests and recent rule changes. His session offered coaches clear and practical insights that will benefit them at poolside throughout the season.
Mark Craig, Swim Ulster Pathway Coach, followed with an engaging presentation drawn from his own coaching journey, focusing on how to support and get the best out of young athletes. Building on this theme, Gary Hodgson of iCoachKids explored coaching techniques and athlete-centred approaches that promote long-term development.
The morning sessions concluded with David Thompson, Assistant Coach at National Centre (Ulster), who shared his experiences and learnings from working within the University of Virginia programme, offering coaches a valuable perspective on high-performance environments.
The final part of the day moved to Bangor Aurora for a practical pool session. Regional Skills Academy swimmers took part in a hands-on session led by David Thompson alongside Conor Ferguson, NCU athlete and Paris 2024 Olympian. This session provided a unique opportunity to see top-level coaching principles applied in real time.
Swim Ulster would like to thank all speakers for their contributions to a highly successful conference, as well as everyone who attended and helped create such a positive learning environment. Thanks are also extended to the Swim Ireland Education Department for allocating CPD points for the event.
With record attendance and strong engagement from clubs across Ulster, the 2026 Swim Ulster Coaching Conference highlighted the region’s ongoing commitment to coach education and athlete development.