MICK NELSON

Mick was the Club Facilities Development Director for USA Swimming. He comes from a club coaching background along with extensive experience in business and aquatic management. He holds a BS in Business administration and an MS in Education. Mick, along with wife Sue, started their own swim club and built their own indoor facility in Danville Illinois in 1972. In 1974 they formed Nelson’s Swim Supply, a retail and wholesale pool/spa and aquatic equipment business. In 1982 they formed NSS, Inc. which

offered aquatic facility design, building, and business consultation to the aquatic industry. In 1994 they started WaterWay Therapy Inc. which was one of the first and only privately owned and operated Medicare approved outpatient Aquatic Physical Therapy centers in the country. 

In 2002 they opened Poolside Health & Wellness Center which became not only the home for the Turtles USA Swimming competitive club, WaterWay Therapy, and Swim America learn-to-swim program but a full-service land and water community health and wellness center. Mick’s specialty is business development, programming, water treatment, and aquatic facility design. 

In 2004 Mick moved to Colorado Springs to initiate the Facilities Department of USA Swimming. Since that time the Facilities Department has 30 new facilities either completed or under construction, 60 more in the design phase, and over 100 in the

programming feasibility stages.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Administration

Master’s Degree in Education

Experience/Employment:

1973 co-financed, designed and built 12,500 square foot aquatic facility

1974 formed Nelson’s Swim & Sports Supply a pool supply and consulting corp – (700 pool customers)

1994 co-founded WaterWay Therapy an outpatient Aquatic Rehab Center

1996 formed Water Wellness Foundation a 501.c.3 Non-profit corp

1980-84 National Swim School Association Charter Member and Board of Directors

 (now known United States Swim School Association)

Swim America Charter Member – Certified program director and own SA license

2002 designed and remodeled existing 12,500 pools into a modern 30,000 sq. ft. multi use Aquatic Health Club with a land component

2019 formed the Total Aquatic Programming, LLC to assist clients with Programming, 

Designing, and Building all sizes of Aquatic Centers

Coaching Experience:

1972 formed Nelson’s Turtles Swim Club.

33 years’ experience as Senior & Age Group Coach

Past Board Member of Illinois AAU and Illinois Swimming Inc serving as Public Relations Chairperson, Age Group Chairperson, Senior Chairperson, and Special Events Coordinator

1992 the Turtles Swim Team changed their affiliation to Indiana Swimming Inc.

1984 formed/changed Nelson’s Turtles to a 501.c.3 Non-profit

Honorary coaching positions include:

1987 – 88 – 89 – 90 – Admin Head Coach for the Illinois Jr/Senior National Athletes Camp

1988 – 89 – 90 – 91 – Administrative Head Coach for the Illinois All Star Team

1988 - 89- 90 - 91 – Admin Head Coach for the Team Illinois Central Zone Championship

1992 the Turtles Swim Team changed their affiliation to Indiana Swimming Inc.

1992 & 1993 – Coach for the Indiana Junior/Senior National Athletes Camp

1994 – 1998 – Central Zone Coaches Chair & member of USA Swimming Board of Directors

Delegate to 30 United States Aquatic Sports National Convention

Business Experiences

Handling multiple cost centers and formerly responsible for a $1,200,000.00 annual budget

Dealing with Architects and Design & Build Contractors

Dealing with Professional Pool Consultants

Working with pool equipment distributors and manufactures

In management and formation of 501.c.3 non-profit organizations

In working with and presenting to Park Districts and Government Agencies

In design and development of both small and multi-functional aquatic facilities

In development of business plans and proformas

In working on non-profit boards and financing entities

In program design including but not limit to:

Competitive swimming, Learn-to-swim, Adult Exercise – Aquatic & Land based – Special Population Exercise – Aquatic Therapy both private based and Medical Based – Pool Leasing opportunities 

Developed and conducted conferences, schools and seminars for ATRI, AEA, MFA and Local Swim Committees

2008 Developed the Drowning Report that is now shared in the water safety industry

Presentations

1993 Midwest Coaches Clinic

1993 ASCA National Age Group Clinic

1994 Michigan LSC Clinic

1994, 95,96, 97, ASCA World Coaches Clinics

1995 Wyoming LSC Clinic

1996 USS National Age Group Coaches Conference

1997 ATRI International Symposium (Aquatic Therapy Rebab Institute

2003 Medical Based Facilities Expo

2004 National Park & Rec Convention, Athletic Business National Convention, United States Aquatic Sports Convention, Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Symposium, International Aquatic Fitness Conference by AEA, Indiana Swim Expo

Memberships:

USA Swimming since its beginning 

Aquatics Exercise Association – Board of Directors and Advisor

Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute – Advisor

Water Safety Council of America (Charter Members & Board of Directors)

World Swim Coaches Assoc Charter Member

Committees:

Committee member USA Swimming (various task forces and committees)

Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute (writing standards)

Aquatic Exercise Association (writing for AEA Exercise Manual)

Certifications:

Child Development Specialist (Illinois)

Starfish Aquatic Institute – Aqua Tech & Starfish Swimming

American Red Cross: Water Safety Instructor, Basic First Aid and Swim Coaches Safety Course – Adult & infant CPR

ASCA Level 4 Certified Coach

1992 elected to the BOD of the American Swim Coaches Association

1992 appointed to serve on the US Swimming National Coaches Education Committee

1993 appointed to the ASCA Finance Committee

1994 elected Vice President of ASCA

Awards:

National award presented in 1991 - by USA Swimming “#1 in 91 for being the #1 small club in the nation for offering services to its members

National award presented in 1992 “Will it be you in 92” for the mid-size club

2006 Power 25 in Aquatics – Aquatic International

1991 &a 1992 1 st place of the Councilman Creative Coaching Award

Sue Nelson worked as the Aquatic Programming Specialist for USA Swimming providing resources and information for members, potential members for 15 years. She holds a BS in Exercise Science and her specialty areas are program development, implementation and facility design. Sue was the recipient of AEA’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. 

In 2019 she received the NDPA Lifetime Achievement Award and she has received the Tsunami Spirit Award presented by ATRI. She was elected in 2009 to the Board of Directors of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and serves on the Education Committee of Aquatic Exercise Association.

Sue has been presenting for over 20 years at all the different aquatic conferences  including topics on:

• Learn To Swim
• Aquatic Exercise
• Aquatic Therapy 
• Competitive Swimming

 ATRI, AEA, USSSA, AOAP, NDPA as well as presenting at 6 Build a Pool conferences every year since 2004. 

Coaching alongside her husband in the family business Sue is an ASCA level 4 swim-coach and has extensive experience in business and aquatic management. She and her husband were on the founding board of NSSA now known as the USSSA. Her second career as a certified Aquatic Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer helped her with training licensed Physical Therapist in their privately-owned Outpatient Therapy Center.

Sue now works to cultivate Aquatic Industry Partnerships with national aquatic service organizations. Sue is the resource for programming information for both USA Swimming members and members of partner organizations. She develops and publishes new program information as it relates to Total Aquatic Programming. Assist the USA Swimming Facilities Department in the planning and development of new aquatic facilities and provides the programming that makes an aquatic center self-sustaining.