Swimming: Called to coach like duck to water

Scott Talbot-Cameron's "King Fish" North Shore swim club members surround him at the Millennium Pool this week. Picture / Kenny Rodger

It was inevitable Scott Talbot-Cameron would one day test himself as a swim coach.

Few, however, would have seen him making such a good fist of it at such a young age.

His dad, Don Talbot, has long been recognised as one of the best in a long line of Australian swimming coaches.

Mum Jan Cameron swam for Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1966 Kingston Commonwealth Games before turning her talents to coaching. She heads the strongest swim team in New Zealand with 12 of her North Shore Club swimmers booked for next year's Commonwealth Games.

Some of those undoubted talents rubbed off on Scott. Even at 24, he is no Johnny-come-lately among New Zealand's expanding group of coaches.

It started three years ago when he "needed to make a few dollars".

"I would do it for nothing. I really enjoy being involved in this way. The bonus for me now is that it is a job," said Talbot-Cameron, who works alongside Chris Hotchin in coaching around 30 age-group (10-12 years) swimmers.

Talbot-Cameron first dipped his toes in a pool at his then-Canberra home as a 4-year-old during the time his father was based at the Australian Institute of Sport. He spent his formative years in Australia and Canada before moving to Auckland as an 8-year-old.

Talbot-Cameron first started competing at North Shore as a 9-year-old and was soon into the early-morning regime - something he will be happy to put behind when he quits competitive swimming after the Commonwealth Games or the World Short Course Championships in Shanghai soon after.

Whether or not turning his back on the pool will lead to a full-time coaching career has yet to be decided.

"I see it as potentially being a long-term job, but I'm not prepared to commit to that at this stage. I really enjoy working with our swimmers."

He talks enthusiastically about having coached an Auckland champion (Nick King in the 11 years 50m freestyle) and getting a couple of swimmers into their finals at the New Zealand junior championships this year. He loves being around the pool and with "his" swimmers.

He won the 100m backstroke final at last week's national championships yet in his days at Rosmini College he was keen to give all sports, especially basketball, a shot.

"But, as you can see, I'm vertically challenged and was never going to make it as a basketballer."

His parents and step-father Kevin Cameron have been supportive in his decision to give coaching a go, but there has been no pressure.

He has his sights set high.

"One day I would like to be the national coach. I would like to think one day I could emulate my dad."

Jan Cameron is fully supportive.

"I think it is time for him to move on. I think he will be a great coach," she said. "I have encouraged him from the start. He has natural leadership skills and a flair for what he is doing. The kids love him.

"Don was a great coach. Scott will make his own way. You don't want clones."

Cameron said once her son ends his competitive career he will be offered a coaching job with North Shore.

"He could be part of a programme instituted by the New Zealand Academy of Sport aimed at retaining young coaches."

New Zealand Swimming's high-performance manager, Clive Rushton, has no doubt Talbot-Cameron has the goods.

"He is a very, very talented coach," said Rushton. "It is absolutely a natural progression for him. His communication skills are top class."

Scott Talbot-Cameron

Born: July 13, 1981, in Canberra, Australia.

NZ titles won: 37.

Favourite event: 100m backstroke.

Personal best: 50m backstroke 26.23s (NZ record)

100m backstroke 55.86s.

Represented New Zealand: 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics.