Making a Big Splash

Another of those professionals is coach Michael Glossop, who keeps the younger swimmers in line.

“I’m directly involved in coaching eight-year-olds and upwards. I run the development squad, focusing on those between eight and eleven, then I also have an overview of the mini squads we run, which are aged five to ten,” he explains.

Michael was a national-level swimmer in relay teams – “I’m not officially retired yet!” he laughs.

And if his no-nonsense coaching style seems spookily familiar, it’s probably not a coincidence.

“I’ve known Ben since I was a swimmer, in Derbyshire. He used to coach me in Chesterfield. He came down here to Peterborough and I became a coach just around when he left, about six years ago. He’s been a mentor, really. So when I joined COPS in October I already knew they’d expect certain standards. We’re quite similar in many ways. We just don’t accept the minimum – we always want to be reaching for that next level.”