Re: Memories of Charlie Sava?

01/03/26 - posted by Natasha Dobrinen

I joined Charlie's swim team when I was 5, at what is now Sava pool. He had a huge influence on my life, even though he passed on when I was 8. I remember him always saying "stroke first, then endurance, then speed". Great advice for everything in life. We did so many stroke drills on dry land. "Press, pull, push" when doing freestyle. He could count seconds in his head to time us doing sprints. He didn't need a clock because he had spent so many years timing people. On Saturday mornings in addition to training, he would teach us water safety skills, treading water, floating, and how to save someone from drowning. Every now and then he would show us movie reels and tell stories of great races of people he had coached. He didn't believe in playing games with races, but said, "Get out ahead and stay ahead." Every morning he would go to the pool early, open it, and swim for his own fitness. He could be gruff at times but it was always for helping us improve. He had a great heart and remains influential to so many people today.