Coach Callaway
Coach Tom Callaway It has been estimated that 90 percent of the families that are involved in swimming have had someone under Coach Tom's instruction at some point in time. Raised in Boston, where he swam for several teams and leagues and won numerous Massachusetts state championships he was an accomplished swimmer, earning college scholarship offers, but he was destined to coach. "When I was 12, I was coaching the 10s and 8s on the team I was on " Callaway says, laughing. Callaway's family moved to Winston-Salem, NC., for his senior year of high school, and Callaway then enrolled for a summer school session at Furman University, which is when he began his local coaching efforts. He founded the Paladin Aquatic Club, which later became Team Greenville, and graduated from Wofford in 1977, coaching throughout his college career.
Callaway was known and respected for his "in the water" approach as he would get in the pool to watch a swimmer's stroke coming out of the water with corrections regardless of the age and talent level of the swimmers. Coach Tom founded Eastside Aquatic Club and along with his famous "Stroke Clinic" counted about 350 participants at its peak. Coach Callaway has always wanted his swimmers to maintain a broad variety of interests outside of the pool.
"Swimming is a great lifetime physical activity, but you have to have other things in your life, too. I've always wanted lacrosse players, piano players and soccer players - kids with diverse interests" - Coach Callaway