About Waterloo Swimming
From Waterloo Swim School to Waterloo Swimming
Waterloo Swimming started in 2010 as Waterloo Swim School in a four lane outdoor country club pool. We offered two 6-week lesson sessions only during the summer as the pool did not have a heater. That first summer we had 50 kiddos and 5 instructors. Over the next few summers we added new programming such as Masters and Kid Fitness as customers asked and grew to over 400 customers in the summer of 2015 prior to opening up the indoor swim center in June 2016.
Our swim team started with four kids, three of whom were Mike’s sons, and the son of some great friends. We practiced in a public pool until the city closed them down during the school year. We were fortunate to be referred to another country club that had a heated pool, but with limited availability. We managed to grow our team to 25 high school swimmers who would practice at 8pm during the weekdays and before 8am on the weekends. Our swimmers would compete in USA Swimming meets as “unattached”, but wore Waterloo gear.
In 2014, Mike was offered the position of Head Coach of another local swim club and our kids transferred to that club. Our 25 swimmers joined their 50 swimmers. With great coaches, swimmers and swimming families, the program grew to 160 swimmers. Mike left the program in late 2015 in anticipation of the opening of the Waterloo Swimming facility.
Waterloo Swimming is a Family
Mike Varozza, Owner and director of Waterloo Swimming has been involved in swimming for over 30 years. Starting out in summer league swimming, joining year around USAS club and high school swimming, then finishing his swimming career in college at Texas A&M. Mike’s swimming career includes NCAA Swimming All-American, US Swimming 1988 Olympic Trials Qualifier, and current US Masters Swimming National and World Record Holder. Mike’s coaching career has been influenced by some of the nation’s best coaches including Jay Fitzgerald and Dick Jochums – both American Swim Coaches Association Honor of Fame coaches. Professionally, after Mike graduated with his BA and MBA, he spent time in the transportation/logistics industry in California before moving to Texas with Dell from 2000 to 2017.
Gwyn Varozza, I am the Queen of All Things Out of the Water. Not a swimmer, but a member of the self-proclaimed Kick Board Club in the Masters Program. I Love being the wife of Coach Mike and mama to Preston, Kyle and Staley. My background is chemical engineering with a specialty in hazardous waste, which I think really prepared me for raising three boys! After being home with the boys, this is a really fun and exciting adventure to be growing Waterloo. I am honored to be working with such wonderful instructors, coaches, and customers. I believe our program has a bright future.
Swimming Coaches and Swim Lesson Instructors: All of our coaches and instructors have completed Waterloo Swim School’s Instructor Training Certification Program. This course covers our philosophy, teaching style and the practical application to our swim program. Instructors are also certified in Community First Aid and CPR.
Waterloo Swim School, LLC created
First swimmers competing in USAS wearing Waterloo gear
Opened with 5 instructors and 50 swimmers for 12 weeks
Special Needs, Masters, and Blitz classes added to Summer programs
Kid Fitness added to Summer program
Over 200 swimmers in programming
Mike hired by local club as Head Coach
Over 400 swimmers in programming!
First Jr National swimmer
Waterloo Swimming & Waterloo Swim Center are open
Purple lesson class offered for our early beginner swimmers
Mermaid class takes off!
Over 1,200 lessons, 400 team; new team groups to include older swimmer groups
Waterloo Wherever created
Waterloo Central (2nd Location) Open
Waterloo Breaks into the Top 5 in Texas Age Group Swimming
2022
Water Polo Summer Camp created
June 2023
Waterloo Opens 3rd location in Round Rock
Fall 2024
Waterloo Swimming With World Record Setters
Mike, Jim Sauer, Ande Rasmussen, and David Guthrie teamed up in August to break both the 400 Free and 400 Medley relay WR times for long course meters in their age group. The foursome came back in December and broke the 200 Medley and 400 Medley relay World Records for short course meters. Aging up into the next age group is not so bad…