Mark Spitz was born February 10, 1950 in Modesto, California to Arnold Spitz and his wife Lenore Sylvia Smith, whose family’s name had been Sklotovick. The family moved to Honolulu when Spitz was 2, permitting him to swim at Waikiki Beach on a near daily basis. He was 6 when his family moved to Sacramento, California, where he began to compete at his local swim club. At age 9, he trained undr Sherm Chavoor at the Arden Hills Swim Club in Sacramento. By age 10, Spitz held one world age-group record and 17 national records. His family moved again when he was 14, bringing him under the tutelage of coach George Haines of the Santa Clara Swim Club from 1964 to 1968. During his four years there, Spitz earned national high school records in every stroke and at every distance. At age 16 he won the 100-meter butterfly at the Amateur Athletic Union national championships, the first of 24 total AAU titles.