Coaching Team
TYSSS members benefit from having a team of experienced and talented coaches headed up by Danny Martland, supported by Vicky Holt. The team works across all training groups, getting to know all swimmers and ensuring they have a cohesive but challenging training programme helping them to reach their technical and physical potential.
Athlete Focused.
Team Driven.
Head Coach: Danny Martland
Senior Swim England Coach
Danny holds the Senior Swim England Coaching qualification and brings 30 years of experience in Swimming to the Head Coach role at TYSSS. He has experience working with athletes across the age range from 8-28+
He has been Head Coach since 2015 and during his tenure he has supported a transformation in the coaching programme at the Club, coaching multiple National finalists and medalists from 13 Age Group to Open.
As well as coaching, Danny is:
Head Coach for the University of York Swimming Team (2013 to date).
Team Manager (TM2) and Life-guard trained.
Danny has previously worked for Swim England as a National Development Coach. He has also coached Team Yorkshire at multiple Swim England National County Team Championships. He often provides mentoring for junior coaches.
Danny leads the coaching programme for the Club. He oversees the Performance Development, Advanced Competition and Competition Development training groups and supports Vicky with Competition Gold and Navy.
Danny is a former top ten ranked national swimmer at multiple events, his passion is athlete development and giving each swimmer their own platform to perform well and thrive in and out of the pool.
Danny’s commitment to guiding young swimmers toward their best performances has not gone unnoticed. He has been nominated for and has won numerous Swim England awards on both a regional and national level.
Swim England Awards - Head Coach Danny Martland
- Winner of the Swim England North East Region Award - Swimming Coach of the Year (inclusive of Masters and Para Swimming), 2024
- Winner of the Swim England North East Region Award - Performance Pathway Coach of the Year (inclusive of Masters Swimming and Para Swimming), 2024
- Winner of the Swim England North East Region Award - Coaching Award for Swimming, SENER, 2024
- Selected as the Head Coach for the Swim England North East Region Talent Camp, 2024
- Winner: Swim England National Swimming (Development) Coach of the Year, 2024
- Finalist: Swim England National Swimming Coach of the Year, 2023
Danny’s expertise and dedication as the Head Coach has been instrumental in Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad receiving awards as a club. In 2023, TYSSS won the Swim England North East Region Award for Club of the Year. In the same year, TYSSS reached the Finalist stage of the Swim England National Award for Club of the Year.
In 2024, Danny’s drive to uphold Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad as an inclusive, diverse club which champions swimmers of all needs and abilities, led Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad to receive the Swim England National Inclusion Impact Award.
Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad has always promoted inclusion within the club, maintaining strong links with the Stingrays disability Swim Squad and welcoming a diverse range of swimmers who have a range of needs. In 2024, Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad became the first club in the UK to introduce a ‘Transplant Swimmer’ awards category for its Swim England Licensed Galas, supporting swimmers from within and outside of the club and leading Swim England to bring competitive swimmers who are organ transplant recipients, into their Inclusion and Diversity planning.
Coach: Victoria Holt
Assistant Head Coach
Vicky is an experienced Swim England Level 2 Coach and ASA Swim Teacher. Her career to date has involved working with children in various capacities in and out of the pool.
As well as coaching, Vicky is:
Part of the Tadcaster Pool Swim Development Team
An Aquafit instructor
Team Manager (TM2) and Life-guard trained
Qualified to work with children with special educational needs and disabilities, she has completed a number of specialist courses specifically targeted at supporting swimmers with additional needs and has years of experience gained working with children with special educational needs in former childcare roles
In 2023 and 2024, Vicky was selected as a Swim England North East Development Programme coach. In 2024 she was nominated for a Swim England Coaching Award in Swimming (inclusive of Masters Swimming and Para Swimming) and in 2025 she was presented with both the Swim England North East Region award and Swim England National award for Children/Age Group Coach of the Year.
Vicky leads coaching for the Competition Navy and Competition Gold training groups and supports Danny with the rest of the squad.
Vicky is a former breaststroke sprint specialist and has a particular interest in supporting swimmers with their mental resilience, self-belief and body conditioning.
Vicky’s dedication to guiding swimmers to be their best in and out of the pool has been recognised at both regional and national level by Swim England.
Swim England Awards - Assistant Head Coach, Vicky Holt
- Winner of the Swim England National Awards Children/Age Group Coach of the Year 2025
- Winner of the Swim England North East Region Children/Age Group Coach of the Year 2025
- Nominated for the Swim England North East Region Award - Talent Development Coach of the Year 2025
- Nominated for the Swim England North East Region Award - Swimming Coach of the Year (inclusive of Masters Swimming and Para Swimming) 2024
- Selected as the Swim England North East Development Coach in 2023 and again in 2024
- Selected as part of the coaching team for the Swim England North East Talent Camp in 2024
Vicky has supported Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad’s success in receiving the Swim England North East Region Award for Club of the Year in 2023, as well as reaching the Finalist stage of the Swim England National Award for Club of the Year 2023.
In 2024, Vicky’s dedication to inclusion and promoting diversity within the club was instrumental in Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad receiving the Swim England National Inclusion Impact Award. In 2025 her experience, passion and talent was recognised as she was presented with the Swim England North East Region Children/Age Group Coach of the Year Award.
Vicky’s qualifications and experience have helped Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad to consistently promote inclusion within the club, maintaining strong links with the Stingrays disability Swim Squad and supporting a diverse range of swimmers with a wide range of needs. In 2024, Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad became the first club in the UK to introduce a ‘Transplant Swimmer’ awards category for its Swim England Licensed Galas, supporting swimmers from within and outside of the club and leading Swim England to bring competitive swimmers who are organ transplant recipients, into their Inclusion and Diversity planning.
Coach: Jon Allars
Level 2 Swim England Coach
Jon supports the Competition Development, Competition Navy & Competition Gold Training Groups. He also shadows Danny to support his ongoing development during the early morning sessions for Advanced Competition and Performance Development Training Groups.
Part of the team at Tadcaster Pool as a volunteer, lifeguard, swim teacher and occasional duty manager.
National Pool Lifeguard and Open Water Lifeguard qualified
RLSS Trainer Assessor (Core, NPLQ, AED and PXB)
STA L2 Swim Teacher
National Pool Plant Operator
Training towards Level 2 Gym Instructor
Advanced Whitewater Kayak Leader, Level 3 Whitewater kayak coach, Level 1 White Water Raft Guide & Level 2 Powerboat qualified!
Swim England Team Manager (TM1 and TM2) trained.
Jon swam competitively up to the age of 16, mainly competing in fly and IM. Having been tempted away by climbing, kayaking, mountain biking and other adrenaline fuelled sports Jon got back into swimming through quadrathlon and triathlon in 2013.
Assistant Coach: Abby Netherway
Swim England Level 1 Coaching Assistant
Abby is a longstanding squad swimmer. She specialises in Fly and is currently a member of the Performance Development Training Group.
Abby is a qualified Level 2 Swimming Teacher and Level 1 Coaching Assistant. She is also a qualified life-guard.
She regularly supports Danny & Vicky working with the Competition Development Training Group.
Assistant Coach: Jimmy Hendon
Swim England Level 1 Coaching Assistant
Jimmy is a longstanding squad swimmer. He specialises in breaststroke and is currently a member of the Performance Development Training Group. His favourite event is 100IM.
Jimmy is a qualified Swim England Assistant Coach and regularly supports the Competition Development, Competition Navy & Competition Gold Training Groups.
He is also part of the team at Tadcaster Pool where he is a lifeguard, swimming teacher, and volunteer coach with Stingrays.
National Pool Lifeguard qualified
STA L2 Swim Teacher
J1 Technical Official - Swimming
This season Jimmy is building on his lifeguarding and swimming skills, trying his hand at lifesaving sport with Leeds Phoenix.
Strength and Conditioning
TYSSS believes that S&C is an essential part of a swimmer’s training programme and has dedicated S&C coaching provision.
S&C Coach: Jonathan Letts
MSc Strength & Conditioning
Jonathan has been working as a paediatric S&C coach since 2015.
Prior to starting at TYSSS, he worked in South London, delivering the S&C programmes at Bromley Tennis Centre and Bromley Swimming Club, within the Move4Sport coaching team.
With an emphasis on long-term athlete development, his experience ranges from programming and delivering the fundamentals of movement to young children starting out on their sporting journey, all the way up to professional athletes performing on the international stage.
Jonathan delivers the S&C squad sessions for TYSSS, supporting the swimmers’ physical development throughout the year. Our S&C squad sessions place a strong emphasis on achieving sound movement patterns, building robust and resilient performers.
Jonathan has also attended 3 training camps as TYSSS S&C coach. As a former TYSSS alumni Jonathan not only brings his professional expertise but an understanding of the supportive culture of TYSSS.
Jonathan’s qualification include:
MSc Strength and Conditioning
ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage
S&CE Certified Youth Strength and Conditioning Coach
REPS Level 3 Personal Trainer
Cover Coaches
All our swimming coaches are employed by Tadcaster Community Pool. From time to time, to support our main coaching team to take well earned annual leave, training sessions may be covered by other coaches provided from a pool of experienced swimming coaches employed by Tadcaster Community Pool. All our cover coaches have appropriate coaching or teaching qualifications. Many are former TYSSS swimmers and are familiar to squad members.
Junior Coaching Volunteers
At TYSSS we support experienced senior club members who would like to train and develop as coaches. Before, during and after they complete coaching qualifications they are encouraged to volunteer poolside and receive mentoring from our senior coaches. Many of our senior swimmers also volunteer and coach for other local clubs and swim schemes.
Cover Coach: Jake Lee
Level 2 Swim England Coach
Jake is a former TYSSS swimmer who went on to study Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough University. Jake completed his Swim England Level 2 Coach qualification in 2024.
Jake currently works for Swim Wales but regularly visits family in the Tadcaster area and supports the squad as a cover coach.
Jake is a qualified lifeguard and has over 4 years coaching experience in Lifesaving Sport. Jake took up Life Saving Sport at Loughborough and has won several National and International titles. Jake coached Team England at the 2023 Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships in Windsor, Canada.
Jake provides cover support for Danny and Vicky across all training groups. As an experienced competitor he also provides specialist cover for the Advanced Competition and Performance Development Training Groups when required.
Former Coaches
Our swimmers have benefitted from coaching from a number of excellent and dedicated coaches over the years. Huge thanks to all our former coaches.
Jane Cusworth
Our 2023 Back-to-School Blast swimming gala was an opportunity for us all to say goodbye to our much loved and hard working coach – Jane Cusworth. Jane has been a coach at Tadcaster since the early days of the squad at Tadcaster Pool and has coached, supported, encouraged and cheered many, many of our swimmers! In respect of her long and much valued service to the club we commissioned a piece of art from Andrea Hall which reflected a busy club training night!
The Club Captains, and Keith Morris Head of Sport at the University of York joined the Swim England North East Regional President Chris Halliday as he made the presentation to the unsuspecting Jane!
Jane said:
“Thank you so very much for the oh so kind and lovely words today, that it took me by surprise is an understatement! My picture is so wonderful. I will treasure it and I’m sure I will spend many hours just looking at it and remembering. My love and best wishes to all of you, it was absolutely brilliant to see the swimmers today (and of course the grownups!). Excellent gala! I hope to see you all again very soon, leaving Squad has left a big hole in my heart.”
2023 Winner: Coaching Award for Swimming
- Danny Martland, Head Coach, Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.
2023 Winner: Swimming Club of the Year
- Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.
2025 Winner: Swim England National Children/Age Group Coach of the Year
- Vicky Holt, Assistant Head Coach, Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.
2025 Finalist: Swim England National Club of the Year
- Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.
2025 Finalist: Young Volunteer of the Year
- Tadcaster York Sport Swimmer, Phoebe Netherway.
2023 Finalist: Swim England National Swimming Coach of the Year
- Danny Martland, Head Coach, Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.
2023 FInalist: Swim England Club of the Year.
- Tadcaster York Sport Swim Squad.