I have been swimming competitively since the age of 5. This journey began with the Woodcreek SeaWolves back in 1995, our inaugural year! I have been on the Roseville Aquatics Complex deck ever since. I swam with the SeaWolves until I aged out and I also swam for Woodcreek High School and played water polo and soccer for them for all 4 years.
I have been coaching the Woodcreek SeaWolves since 2006? (I’ve lost track!) I was a swimmer and a coach at the same time during the beginning years of my coaching. I also worked concurrently with the City of Roseville as a lifeguard and swim lesson teacher. Over the years, I have become the Women’s Water Polo coach at Woodcreek High School, one of the Head Swim coaches for Woodcreek High School, and I am also a part-time Recreation Coordinator for the City of Roseville. During the summer, along with SeaWolves, I also coach the Roseville Sea Lions. This is a pre-competitive program through the City of Roseville. I have been coaching this team for 8 years, which 6 of them have been as Head Coach. I also handle multiple swim clinics throughout the year! No matter what season it is, you can find me on the pool deck!
My favorite stroke as a swimmer was Backstroke. It always felt so effortlessly to me. I love that it could be done as a sprint or if you’re in the mood for a nice easy “stroll” in the pool.
I love swimming because it has given me so much as a person. Throughout my years with the SeaWolves, I have met so many loving families, kids, and friends. Some of my closest friends were met on this pool deck. I keep in contact with a lot of former swimmers and their families. The SeaWolves are an extension of my immediate family and I would not have it any other way. Along with friends and family, swimming has also given me an outlet to get a strenuous workout! I love the abilities that being a swimmer and coach has given me to use on my own. Even though I am not in my best swim shape at the moment, it is still one of the first things I will do when I want a good workout. Lastly, swimming has given me a job for over half my life. As I work on my PhD, my work schedule with being a swim coach and pool manger is flexible. It allows me enough time to concentrate and pursue my education goals!
Away from swimming, my hobbies include playing soccer, hiking, traveling, spending time with family, going to the movies, snow skiing, water skiing, boating, and relaxing. Oh and of course, eating! I do not like to sit still for very long!
Some of my favorite things include: Starbucks, Disney and Disneyland, the color green, my dogs, my family, Mongolian and Korean Barbeque, pizza, the beach, running, and going to sporting events. One word to describe myself would be, me! I love who I am, what I do, and the value that I believe I can put into people’s lives. I work hard every day to add a word to my “me” bank.
One of my favorite quotes is to everyone’s favorite little bear: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robbin
I am so incredibly happy and excited for another season with the Woodcreek SeaWolves. Please feel free to always talk to me or say hello! Let’s Go SeaWolves!
Greetings to all Woodcreek Seawolves. I have been involved in swimming in one form or another for most of my life, and I am no spring chicken.
As a swimmer, I competed on a year-round team called the Barracuda Aquatics of the Monterey Peninsula for many years. I also swam in Japan for three years for the Yokohama Sailfish team. In high school, I competed at Carmel High School in both swimming and water polo. After high school, I competed at Chabot College for two years and trained with the UC Berkeley swim team. My favorite stroke was butterfly, even though it didn’t come naturally to me. In college, I swam the 200 butterfly but my coach felt like my better stroke was Backstroke. After college, I competed in triathlons for about seven years.
My coaching career began in 1984 when I became the assistant coach for the Barracuda Aquatics of the Monterey Peninsula. I continued to coach for the Barracudas for the next six years. Then, in 1992, I moved to Sacramento and started coaching swimming. My first position was the assistant swim coach at Valley High School. In 1996, I became the head coach at Foothill High School for three years. Later, in 2007, I coached the Oakmont High School swim team for six years both as an assistant coach and a head coach.
Since 2010, I have been fortunate to work for the City of Roseville Aquatics. I was the head coach of the Roseville Sugarbears during its farewell season and have spent five years as an assistant coach for the Woodcreek Seawolves. The best part of coaching in Roseville has been the swimmers and the amazingly supportive and sacrificial parents. I also feel like the other coaches have become a part of my family, and I am so grateful for that.
I love swimming when I am in shape. When I was younger, I was always in swim shape. Swimming was amazingly relaxing, and I loved the intense workouts. One of my goals this summer is to get back into better swim shape. As far as coaching, the best part is seeing the joy on a swimmer’s face when they achieve a major goal or achieve something in swimming they didn’t think was possible. In addition, I love coaching swimming because anyone can participate in it no matter what their skill level. And I have the privilege of helping these individuals embark on a sport they can participate in for the rest of their lives.
One word to describe me would be joyful. I feel like even though there have been and still are challenging times, I am still joyful and hopeful for the future. I feel like the best days are still to come.
One of my favorite quotes is, “Trust in the Lord with all of your strength and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs) At the end of the day when so much insanity is going on, I remember that God is in control and if I just lean into His truth everything will be alright.
Another one of my favorite quotes is “believe in the beauty of your dreams”. I am not sure who said this but everyone needs a dream in their life. Something that will get them out of bed and give them passion and life. Maybe the dream is to run your first marathon or maybe the dream is to risk years of savings in a new business. I guess that’s why my favorite movie is Braveheart. William Wallace’s dream was that the Scottish would be free from English tyranny and sacrificed his life in the pursuit of that dream.
A few other details- I have called Roseville my home since 2007 when I married my beautiful wife. My daughter Madeline was born in 2012 and all three of us (four, if you could include Myles our black lab) enjoy the Roseville community. My hobbies include enjoying the great outdoors, skiing (when I can), traveling, reading, playing the trumpet, and competing in endurance races. My wife and I both love to camp, and we look forward to taking a trip to Europe sometime in the near future.
