Dear Swimmers and Families,

I am delighted to announce that I will be the head coach of the Middle and Upper School swimming programs for the 2018-2019 season. I have extensive experience as a coach and competitive swimmer. After a great collegiate swimming experience at Guilford College, aDivision III school in North Carolina, I returned home and continued my love for swimming as a coach for Middle and Upper School at my alma mater, Friends Select School, in Philadelphia. I have also spent time coaching student athletes ranging in ages from eight to eighteen years old at the USA Club Swimming level, as well as at the college level, at Arcadia University. Aside from coaching students, I run the swim lesson company Swimphilly, and have participated in swim adventures, like competing in triathlons and teaching swim lessons in India with the

Michael Phelps Swimming Program.Athletics has taught me so many things beyond the pool. Yes, the students have fun, enjoy themselves, and work hard, but they also learn important life skills. I hope to pass on these lessons to your children as we work together for success, as different as that might look for each individual member of the team. Athletics is about hard work, feeling pride in what you have accomplished, and joy at reaching goals, both individually and as a team. We also learn and grow from those times when we may have fallen short of our immediate goal.

We have a great group of coaches returning this winter who bring a wealth of varied backgrounds. Coaches Frank Keefe, Neal McDonnell, and Karen Culbertson will all be back for this winter season. I look forward to working together with them and taking advantage of their extensive experience and knowledge to create the most positive and successful program possible.

I can’t wait to meet the students at the pool and hopefully connect with many of you in the stands at some of our meets. Looking forward to a great season full of laughs, smiles, and dropped times!

Coach Kelcey Johnson