About TAM
Tamalpais Aquatic Masters (TAM) is a member club of United States Masters Swimming (USMS). We are a USMS Gold Club and were awarded the 2023 USMS Club of the Year. We are located in San Rafael, Marin County California and swim at the Marin Academy pool.
TAM was founded in 1973 and is one of the oldest clubs of USMS. We are a friendly and welcoming group of about 100 swimmers -- several of whom have been with the team since its beginning and almost 40 who have joined in the last year! We enjoy spending time with our teammates both in and out of the pool.
TAM swimmers span all ability levels and ages. While our program is structured and supportive, each swimmer decides how often, how much and how hard to train. Our coach offers a yearly workout program dedicated to conditioning and stroke improvement. A number of our team members enjoy competing at pool meets and open water swims.
Winter/Spring Schedule
Last Updated: March 2025
Note: all workouts start and end as noted, thank you for being on time! Please do not drop in without first contacting Coach Marie (mariemcswim@yahoo.com). Note: No drop-ins during August, thank you.
Mornings: Monday through Friday
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6:00 Early Swim
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6:30am to 7:30am
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7:30am to 8:30am
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8:30am to 9:30 am
Saturdays
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7:30am - 8:45am
Sundays
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8:30am - 9:45am
Evenings
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Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:00 - 6:45 pm
What Are Workouts Like?
Workouts consist of a mix of warmups, drills, kicking, pulling, and a main set of repeats distances. Members swim in lanes with like abilities and set their pace accordingly.
Our training follows USMS’s calendar of events and activities. Our training cycles change with the seasons. The late fall and January is geared to preparation for the One Hour Swim. Following this, we transition to increasingly shorter distances – 1650, 500 as we transition to speed, quality and shorter race pace emphasis.
Finding the Pool
TAM swims at Marin Academy, an independent high school in San Rafael, CA that has been our host for more than 30 years.
Location
As of July 2022, our new pool is located at 1532 Fifth Avenue in San Rafael CA 94901. Entrance is on Fifth Avenue.
Parking
Metered parking options are available on city streets south of Mission Avenue. Parking is permissible on campus weekdays prior to 8am and on weekends.
Our former pool was decommissioned as of 5/14/2022 when 96,000 gallons of well maintained water were transferred to the new pool, meeting almost 25% of its water needs. Water conservation optimized.
Marie McSweeney, Head Coach
Marie McSweeney has been TAM’s coach since its formation. Understanding the needs and motivations of a disparate group is her special skill. From lap swimmers to highly competitive swimmers, Marie is able to respond to the differing motivations that drive our members with encouragement, mentoring and excellent coaching. Marie is an outstanding technician. She originates each day’s workouts and is an on-deck presence.
