EGAC Coaches

We couldn’t be more stoked about our coaching staff here at EGAC. With decades of collective coaching experience our coaches have a mad passion for bring up swimmers who love the sport. Focusing on technique and benefits that go beyond the race at hand and to a lifetime of love for the sport.

BLACK GROUP COACH

I love coaching. I love coaching practice. It is the ultimate laboratory. A swimmer can experiment and get instant feedback. If we as coaches can convince the swimmer to notice objectively and without judgement the effects of that feedback then the swimmer enhances his/her chances for gain. Isn’t that what we’re here for? Not just in swimming, but in life?

COACHING

I began with Vallejo Aquatic Club (VJO) in September, 1994. While there VJO grew to 130 swimmers, with many Sectional and Far Western qualifiers. One swimmer in 2002 won five of his six 11-12 boys events at short course Far Westerns.

In June 2005 I joined the staff at Arden Hills. In the thirteen years there I coached many swimmers who qualified for Junior Nationals, Futures and Sectionals, including one eighth grade girl who made top eight at Futures before moving into the Senior group at AH. We also qualified many for Far Westerns, and they led AH (and later DART) to several top five finishes in the team standings.

A special quality of our staff at AH was how well we worked together. The success I had with swimmers in my group was the result of the work of the coaches in the groups they were promoted from. So, it is not just the relationships with swimmers I coach, although that is very important, it is also how I work with my colleagues to bring cohesion to our TEAM of swimmers. That, ultimately, made us successful.

WORK PATH

• 1979-1994 – Radio DJ with stations in Livermore, Sacramento, Monterey, Boise, Honolulu, Oakland, Vallejo
• 1995-2005 – grew to 130 swimmers from 50; coached Sectional qualifiers & Far Western Champions
• 2005-2018 – Arden Hills (also DART from 2013-2016); coached Junior National, Futures, Sectional, Far Western qualifiers, finalists and champions
• 2018 – Elk Grove Aquatics Club Gators

INTERESTS

• My wife, Michelle, introduced me to Contra Dancing when we met in 2010. She’s been involved with it for over 25 years. We’ll attend dances locally (Sacramento, Nevada City), as well as weekend dance camps (San Luis Obispo, Carmel).
• I love golf!
• Reading thrillers…two favorite authors: Stephen Hunter and Mark Greaney

coachchris@egacgators.com

BLUE GROUP COACH

This is Hillary’s 10th year as an Elk Grove Aquatics Club assistant coach. She is also the head coach of the Monterey Trail High School water polo and swim teams, 2010-Present. Through coaching, she hopes to help young swimmers develop into better athletes and better people, while promoting a love for the sport.

Hillary joined the EGAC family at of the age of 7, continuing to swim year-round with the team for 10 years. She swam for Sheldon High School. Her favorite events include 100 Back, 100/200 Free, and 200 IM.

Hillary studied Civil Engineering and Mathematics at CSU Sacramento. Outside of the pool, she enjoys being with family and spending time outdoors.

coachhillary@egacgators.com

RED GROUP COACH

Coaching Philosophy:Technique is the top priority to maximizing potential in the water. Reducing drag while maximizing propulsion in the water and fine-tuning the many skills for fast swimming is the key to achieving top speed. Teaching attention to detail is one of Coach Troy’s most important missions.

• Fun with the Process- swimming is a rewarding long-term commitment that is very challenging at times. Learning to have fun with the daily approach is key to success.
• Goal-Oriented: swimmers should constantly be setting short and long-term goals to stay engaged and break up the process.
• Teamwork: there is more to swimming than getting a personal best time. When a group of athletes comes together under a unifying mission of pursuing excellence, everyone gets better. Coach Troy works to foster an environment of lifelong teammates.
• Commitment and Self-Discipline are crucial to finding long-term success in this challenging and rewarding sport!

ON DECK:

• Olympic & Pro Swimming: Coach Troy spent the last two years working with Olympic and Pro swimmers from USA, Greece, Israel, Germany, and Belarus
• USA Swimming: For over 12 years, Coach Troy has coached athletes of all ages in competitive swimming. From individual Junior Olympic Champions to 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifiers.
• High School: Over 6 years of experience, 3 as a Head Coach. Several individual CIF Section Champions, CIF State Finalists, and All-American Student-Athletes.
• Recreational: Coach Troy has more than 5 years of experience teaching athletes to swim all legal competitive strokes.
• Masters: Coach Troy has 2+ years running fun and challenging workouts for masters swimmers of all ages and backgrounds.
• Learn to Swim: Coach Troy has worked with athletes as young as 3 and as old as 60 years teaching water safety and basic swimming technique. It’s never too early nor too late to start hopping in!

IN THE POOL:

• Consistent National Top-16 ranked swimmer as an age-grouper
• Former 17-18 Male LSC Record Holder in 100 (SCY) & 200 (SCY + LCM) Breaststroke
• 3-Time CIF Sectional Individual Champion, 2-Time CIF Sectional Team Champion
• Junior National and Senior National finalist
• Olympic Trials Qualifier 2008
• USA Swimming National Junior Team Member 2006
• Formerly World-Ranked 200 Meter Breaststroker
• 4-Year NCAA Division I Student-Athlete at UC Berkeley (’79, ’80, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’19 NCAA Division I Team Champions)

MENTORS:

• David Marsh (International Swimming Hall of Fame , 2016 USA Olympic Head Coach)
• Nort Thornton (Legendary Collegiate and Internationally Renowned Coach)
• Mike Bottom (Current Head Coach of University of Michigan Swimming)
• Dave Durden (Cal Men’s Swimming Head Coach, 2020 USA Men’s Olympic Head Coach)
• Greg Meehan (Stanford Women’s Swimming Head Coach, 2020 Women’s USA Head Coach)

WHITE GROUP COACH

I was born in Sacramento, and grew up in Woodland. I got my start swimming recreationally for the Woodland Wreckers before transitioning to swim for the Woodland Swim Team, and in high school I swam for Davis High School, and I graduated from Da Vinci Charter Academy in 2018.

I have previously worked as a swim instructor, as well as served as an assistant coach on both the Woodland Swim Team and Woodland Wreckers. Currently, I attend Cosumnes River College and I am pursuing a civil engineering degree. I will be swimming on the Sacramento City College swim team in the spring.

I believe in creating an environment where athletes understand the importance of consistency, communication, and effort. I see my role as a coach as facilitating the long-term success of the athlete, by emphasizing an understanding of the mechanics of the sport and also encouraging commitment to the sport.

Coach’s Code of Ethics

• Make the best interests of the children in the program the priority in my heart and mind. Maintain the delicate state of balance between what is best for the individual (the swimmer) and the needs of the group (the team).
• Communicate honestly, openly, and in a mature manner and to be approachable and receptive to parents’ and swimmers’ reasonable concerns.
• Acknowledge my frailties, imperfections, and my humanity, and within those constraints, pledge to strive to be consistent and fair in my dealings with team members and to treat each swimmer according to his/her needs.