For the best swimming
lessons in Tucson, call 520-883-0151 to reserve your lesson
now
United States
Masters Swimming (USMS) National & Fédération
Internationale de Natation (FINA) Masters World Record
Holder
USMS All-Star, FINA All-Time
Top Ten World Rankings & FINA World Champion
Pan-American Games Bronze
Medalist
Former USA National Team
Member
High School, USA-Swimming,
NCAA & USMS All-American
Specializes in Sprinting,
Breaststroke, Backstroke & I.M.
American Swimming Coaches
Association (ASCA) Member
Jeff Commings
began his swimming career in St. Louis when he was 4 years
old, where he was literally thrown into the
water at a local Boys’ Club. After the initial floundering,
Jeff took to the water with ease and joined the Boys’ Club
team. The basic philosophy was to teach proper technique from
the very beginning, learning all the strokes. A year after
his introduction to swimming, he signed up for his first meet.
Jeff continued to excel, winning his first trophy at 6 for
the 25 fly. It wasn’t long before butterfly began to
disagree with his growing body, and he found a natural talent
for the breaststroke. After rising in the local ranks, he made
a name for himself on the national scene with a Top 16 ranking
among 11- and 12-year-olds in the 50-meter breast. His teen
years saw dramatic improvement in the sprint breaststroke,
rising from fourth place at the state championships his freshman
year to state champion and record holder his junior year.
The year 1991 was Jeff’s breakout year. It started with
a run at the national high school record in the 100 breast
in February. He fell just short of it, becoming the third-fastest
all-time high school swimmer in the event at the time. The
following month, he won the bronze in the 100-meter breast
at the national championships, as well as a berth on the Pan-American
team traveling to Cuba. At that meet, Jeff won the bronze medal.
Jeff attended the University of Texas-Austin on a full scholarship
under the tutelage of Olympic Coach Eddie Reese. His repertoire
expanded there to the 200 individual medley and, reluctantly,
the 200 breast. His highest placing at the NCAA championships
was third in the 100 breast his sophomore year. He would end
his college career an eight-time All-American, USA Swimming
National Team member and four-time conference champion in the
now defunct Southwest Conference.
Jeff attended two Olympic Trials, in 1992 and 1996, but did
not make the Olmpic Team. After the 1996 Trials, Jeff moved
to Colorado Springs to train under renowned coach and former
world record holder Jonty Skinner. Jeff retired from elite
swimming in 1998.
In 1999, Jeff discovered masters swimming and initially used
the workouts as a way to stay in shape, vowing to never compete
in another high-stress meet. That vow didn’t last long.
At the 2003 masters national championships, Jeff won five
events and set his first national record in the 100 breast.
The following summer, Jeff set a world record in the 100-meter
individual medley.
Another national record followed in 2004. Jeff took a break
from competition to prepare for the 2006 Masters World Championships.
The training paid off as Jeff won three individual events (50
and 100 breast, 100 back) and was part of a national-record
setting medley relay. He also broke the world record in the
50 breast.
Jeff continues to train with the Tucson Ford Aquatics masters
team in preparation for upcoming meets.
United
States Masters Swimming (USMS): National Record Holder;
Relay & Individual All-American; and National Champion
Fédération
Internationale de Natation (FINA): All-time Top Ten
World Rankings in Freestyle
English
Channel Swimmer: Garnet-Martin Trophy, The Channel
Swimming Association
Specializes
in Marathon, Open Water, and Long Distance Freestyle
as well as Butterfly
2007 USA-Swimming
Registered Coach
25 years
Teaching & Coaching Experience, Including Working
with the Disabled
First
Aid, Lifeguard, AED, & CPR certified
Geoff Glaser learned how to swim at the YWCA in Bloomington,
Ill when he was just five. He did not immediately take to the
water, and it took a couple of tries to pass Beginners. His
stumbling block was the course requirement that the swimmer
make one length of freestyle to the other side, without stopping.
But he made the 25 yards requirement. He still remembers his
first teacher, Mrs. Kelly.
After Beginners, he continued to work his way through the
Y’s learn-to-swim sequence. He liked swimming and continued
to learn as much as he could. It was a sport Glaser seemed
to do well, which was noteworthy.
When Geoff was eight, a friend invited him to try out for
the local swim team, the Bloomington Normal Swim Club, an AAU-Swimming
club in central Illinois. He and his brother decided to go.
He could barely make the multiple 25 yard freestyle cuts; multiple
lengths felt colossal. Nevertheless the coach, a former Pan-American
backstroke champion and Brazilian swim star, let him onto the
team.
To say that Glaser clawed his way to the top would be an understatement.
His first award was a pink 6th place ribbon for the 200 freestyle
-- last place. It was a miracle he even finished. He determined
he would one day have a blue ribbon. This would take time.
Geoff devoted himself to swimming, and he loved it. By the
time he was ten, he won high-point. Still, the swimming practices
seemed long. Over time as he became stronger workouts became
more tolerable. He competed on a regular basis in AAU Swimming
and belonged to two teams during the summer. Each year he improved.
By the time Geoff graduated from high school, he was All-Conference,
All-State, and All-American Consideration. He excelled in the
50 and 100 freestyle events and managed to swim a good 50,
100 and 200 fly as well.
While in college, Geoff swam for recreation. But after graduation,
he took up swimming again, this time as an open water / marathon
swimmer. In 1987, he swam the English Channel by relay and
won the Garnet-Martin Relay Trophy from the Channel Swimming
Association. He continued other ocean swimming events through
his mid-twenties.
Geoff returned to swimming again in his mid-thirties, this
time with a renewed sense of himself as a swimmer. Competing
in world masters swimming events, he earned several FINA Top
Ten World rankings in sprint, mid-distance and long-distance
freestyle events.
During his time as a swimmer, Geoff began teaching and coaching
nearly 25 years ago and continues to coach and teach individuals,
groups, and teams. He is excited to be a Co-Founder, along
with Jeff Commings, of Dolphins of the Desert Swimming Academy.
For the best swimming lessons in Tucson, call 520-883-0151
to reserve your lesson now
Dolphins of the Desert Swimming Academy, LLC
3631 W. Avenida Obregon - Tucson, AZ 85746
520-883-0151