United is proud to have a high-calibre coaching team that is not only highly skilled and professional, but also approachable and dedicated. Our coaches are committed to helping every swimmer reach their full potential in a supportive, safe, and enjoyable team environment
Andy McMillan
Andy McMillan is the head coach of United Swimming Club. Andy has a large swim coaching background having worked with multiple clubs in the past, most notably he was the former head coach of North Shore Swimming Club for a number of years. Throughout Andy’s coaching career he has made his way on to several New Zealand teams guiding swimmers to success on the Mare Nostrum Tour. Andy is also the Black Fins pool coach having recently taken the New Zealand team to compete in Germany at the International German Cup.
Andy was a strong competitive swimmer, specialising in Freestyle and Butterfly. His swimming career has taken him to an international level, representing NZ at the 2012 Olympic games held in London and the 2006 commonwealth games held in Melbourne.
Mason Pickering
Mason joins United Swimming Club with a coaching philosophy centred on technical mastery, long-term athlete development, and a supportive squad culture. He coaches to provide swimmers with the opportunities and positive experiences he was lucky enough to have in sport, and to help swimmers achieve greater things than they think possible of themselves.
Over eight seasons leading Whakatāne Swimming Club, he helped build an inclusive environment where juniors, age-groupers, multi-class, adult, & open-waterswimmers trained and succeeded both domestically & internationally. Mason priorities bio-mechanical movement and efficiency before building training volume, aiming to build awareness across all speeds & intensities which athletes can then use to not simply inform, but to actually take ownership of their swimming.
Mason’s approach is derived from a combination of lived performance sporting experiences, extensive coaching development across multiple sports, & familial knowledge. His athletic background includes holding NZ age pool rescue records and competing at the 2014 Lifesaving World Championships, while his coaching path spans Swimming NZ CoachTED mentorship, international NZ team appointments, and developing athletes to domestic & international performances across multiple sports. Anchoring this foundation is a deep sporting legacy: his grandfather was All Black #589 Rex Pickering; his father Matthew brings expertise in executive coaching & leadership development; and his brother Justin is a stalwart of water polo in Aotearoa as both a player & coach across national titles, NZ representative teams, & international university programs. At United, Mason aims to blend these insights to create an environment designed to help every swimmer reach their full potential.
Orinoco Prince
Orinoco Prince leads the United Swimming Junior programme, with his primary focus on leading, developing and strengthening our Junior Squads.
Orinoco is a highly decorated swimmer. A dominant force in sprinting through the age group ranks, Orinoco claimed multiple NAG’s titles, was the World Junior champion and record holder in the 50m Free. He set a NZ Record for 50m Freestyle in a time of 22.37 which stood for approx. 8 years and won numerous gold medals and NZ Titles making him one of the most successful sprinters in our country’s history.
Orinoco went on to represent NZ at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and anchored the 4×100 free relay.
As a swimmer, Orinoco was known for transferring raw power into his swimming and he brings this speed to United! Ori is passionate about swimming and has coached across all age groups.
Ori brings a huge amount of energy to our club and continues to use the most innovative coaching strategies to bring the best out of his squads.
When asked about his coaching philosophy, this is what Ori had to say:
“When it comes to coaching, I like to take a long-term approach, starting with the ultimate goal in mind and working backward to design a programme that best supports achieving it. I continuously seek strategies outside of the sport that can be applied to swimming with great effect. I believe that to perform at the highest levels, you must consistently be at your best in all areas of life.”
“I enjoy working closely with athletes to understand the “why” behind what they are doing, not just focusing on the tasks. It’s the engaged, passionate, and driven athletes who achieve meaningful outcomes.”
