News of a coaching change is coming out of Australia, as Richard Scarce has been appointed Head Coach of the Bond Swimming Club (BSC) located at Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland. Scarce currently has one of Australia’s biggest swimming talents, Cameron McEvoy, under his tutelage, and it is reported that McEvoy is indeed one of 40 swimmers who will be joining Scarce at his new post.
Scarce was on the Australian national team coaching staff at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, and will be on the staff again this July at the upcoming World Championships in Kazan, Russia. For its part, BSC has had its own share of talent of which to brag, with Melanie Wright (Schlanger), Maddie Groves, Jordan Harrison and Alex Graham all hailing from its Elite Sport Program.
Of Scarce’s appointment, Bond University Director of Sport, Garry Nucifora, said, “Richard has proved himself to be one of the top swim coaches on the global stage, and we consider his appointment as Head Coach of the Bond Swimming Club to be a major coup for the university.” Nucifora continued that, “His national and international coaching experience will provide opportunities for our promising young swimmers to take their sport to the next level under his guidance.”
Scarce’s top swimmer, Cameron McEvoy, who recently signed a new sponsorship deal with Mercedes-Benz, has indicated that his move with Coach Scarce from Palm Beach to Bond University should make his life “infinitely easier”, saving the 21-year old at least an hour a day in commute time. Lending insight into his schedule, the physics student describes himself as coming in to Bond to study “from about 10am then when it gets to about 3:45pm I just walk over to the pool and start training.” McEvoy says that, “There is no rush or anything. It feels more leisurely which is good and the way I like it.” (Daily Telegraph)
With the other head of the primary Australian sprint two-head monster, James Magnussen, out of commission for the 2015 World Championships due to recent shoulder injury, all eyes will be on McEvoy to deliver on his impressive talent he has shown thus far when the time comes in Kazan. But, McEvoy is up for the challenge, training harder than he ever has, setting his own target times that he doesn’t even share with his coach. McEvoy says of the targets, “I haven’t even told Rich [Scarce]. They’re in my mind. Each training set I’ve set goal times where I’ve jumped them up a little bit,” he said.
And of the impact Magnussen’s Worlds absence may have overall on his performance, McEvoy calmly responded, “I will be going over there [Kazan], racing as fast as I can. It’s not like I’m all of a sudden going to swim slower or faster because James isn’t there.”