Meet the New Teacher: Joseph Denton
Joe Denton earned a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science.
Cross Campus Assistant Head Swim Coach
Joseph Denton, or Joe as he prefers to be called, earned a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Chichester and used to swim competitively.
Swimming the Channel
“I used to swim competitively in a club, there is not competitive swimming in schools in the UK unless they are elite schools. I started competing at the age of 8, when I got older, I was a long-distance freestyle swimmer. I did open water swimming in the lakes and coasts. I actually swam the English Channel from England to France when I was 17. It took me 10 hours 45 minutes, I was lucky as the day was very clear, the sea was calm.”
The Path to Coaching
“As I got older, I kept up swimming but not competitively until I joined the team at university. That is where I began my coaching career as I would help out the younger students. I found I really enjoyed the coaching side of things. I built up my coaching experience once I built on my qualifications in the UK, I went to work in Doha in Qatar for a competitive Swimming club. I gained a lot more knowledge in the sport and in coaching. It was my first full time coaching job.”
“Doha is a really small place, but it was a great place for me to get my feet on the ground. My girlfriend and I decided to try a new adventure. This is my first time in Thailand, first time in Asia. I saw that the quality of the education at Bangkok Patana is very good and I could see there was further progression for me as a coach here.”
Swimming at Bangkok Patana
“The swimming facilities here are unbelievable, I’ve never seen anything like it! This is one of the leading facilities at a school that I’ve ever seen. It is comparable to the Olympic training facilities that I’ve seen in the UK. I think the Learn to Swim pool is great because it gives the younger swimmers an opportunity to have a safe space in the pool.”
“For me, the thing I am most looking forward to is having a more competitive swimming environment – the schools we compete against and the SEASAC conference. I thought adapting to the school would be more difficult but people here are so friendly and welcoming. I don’t have a day wasted, everything I do here I feel like is contributing not only to the programme we are in but to other academies in the school as we can complement what they do. My biggest challenge is adapting to the senior students I coach and getting them ready for competition. We are hoping to get some students in the Thai nationals, GB nationals and Irish nationals, COVID permitting.”
Norwich City Fan
“I am a sports person through and through. I am a big fan of American sports too, I used to play basketball when I was younger. I enjoy darts, swimming, of course. But I love to watch sports – my team is Norwich City, same as Tim Tripp! I enjoy watching Netflix, after a working day I like to turn off and relax. I am a very hard-working individual – we do 12-hour days during the week and I like to just get it done. I am a very easy-going approachable person and happy to answer questions for parents and staff.”
