Coaches
This will be my 14th year as Head Coach of these Damascus Hornets! My 24th as an MCPS Coach - previously I coached Rockville High School from 1999 - 2008.
Coaching, swimming & diving has been my passion for a very long time. I began coaching in 1994, when the Wheaton Woods Swim Team of the MCSL hired me as their summer coach; I was there for 9 seasons until 2002. While coaching at Wheaton Woods, I met my wife Sara; she was the head coach for the Manor Woods Swim Team. Our teams swam against one another (her team won ☹). Nonetheless, we were still married in 2003. I took the summer of ‘03 off and then began coaching again the following summer for the hometown Damascus Dolphins! I coached Damascus for 10 seasons (2004-2013). After a 10 year break from the Dolphins to be a ‘Swim Dad’, I returned the summer of 2023 to resume coaching the Damascus Dolphins. I also look forward to spending quality time with my family. I keep busy watching my children in their activities (Owen 21 yrs. old – College Senior @ Salisbury University - soccer player & runner: XC & marathons; Drew 19 yrs. old – College Sophomore @ Mount St. Mary's University - swimmer & pianist & Claire 18 yrs. old – College Freshman @ University of Delaware - flag football player, swimmer, lacrosse player).
When I am not coaching, I am an Elementary Physical Education Teacher at Rockwell ES; this is my 23rd year at Rockwell. I am an MCPS graduate; I went to Wheaton High School- Class of 1992. I graduated from Frostburg State University in 1996 with a degree in Health & Physical Education and completed my Masters of Educational Administration in 2008 from McDaniel College. No plans yet to pursue a career as an MCPS Administrator.
My family and I have lived here in the Damascus area since 2008, after having worked at Rockwell ES and realizing what a wonderful community this is. I am humbled to work and live in Damascus.
This will be my 6th year coaching the Damascus Hornet Divers. When I volunteered for the 2019-2020 season, I had no idea just how much fun it would be, and I am excited to be back. Kaitlyn is my only child, and she was a 4-year swimmer on this team and is now a College Senior @ UMD.
Growing up, I was a level 9 gymnast and when I went to high school, I wanted to be a part of the school, but had very little time due to gymnastics practices. I joined the swimming & diving team as it had a minimal practice commitment, and I learned everything from how to walk down the board (called an "approach") to all the needed dives to help Newark High School win 3 of the 4 Delaware state meets. I then dove for Syracuse University where I was top ten in the Big East my freshman year. (Unfortunately, I had a career-ending foot injury in December of my Sophomore year.)
Although coaching has never been my full-time job, I taught gymnastics from the age of 16 through 28. I then coached diving for the first time in 2019, and am happy to boast that the athletes learned many new dives and had fun doing so. I cannot wait to see what this season holds!
While not coaching, I am a certified USA Swimming judge/official (so you may see me on deck in a white shirt helping with the meet). My full-time job is Superintendent of Public Information & Marketing for the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks. I have a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Public Affairs from Syracuse University. I am married to my wonderful husband Alan.
