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Coaches
Coaching Responsibilities
The Head Coach supervises the entire
competitive swim program. The coaching staff is dedicated to providing a program
that enables swimmers to learn the value of striving to improve oneself—"to be
the best you can be."
The Head Coach places swimmers in
practice groups based on the age, ability, and character of each individual.
When it is in the best interest of a swimmer, he/ she will be placed in a more
challenging training group. Sole responsibility for stroke instruction and the
training regimen rests with the Dolphins coaching staff.
Each group’s practices are geared to
the specific goals of that group. The coaching staff determines which meets
Dolphins swimmers may attend and assists in deciding in which events a swimmer
is entered. At meets, coaches conduct and supervise warm-up procedures for the
team. After each race, the coaches will offer constructive criticism regarding
the swimmers performance. The building of a relay team is the responsibility of
the coaching staff.
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Head Coach Laurie Berkow E-mail Coach Laurie
Coach Laurie combines more than 20 years’ coaching experience with age group children, and 12 years with Masters swimmers in both the YMCA and in U.S. swimming programs. She swam for ten years in YMCA age group competition from ages 9-17, and as an adult in Masters from 1987 through 2001. She was a winner of the “YMCA National John DeBarbadillo Award” in 1993 for “Significant contributions to the sport of masters swimming”.
Coach Laurie joined the staff of the Hampton Dolphins in 2008 as the coach of the age group division, and became Head Coach of the team in 2010. She began the Dolphins Masters Program in 2009 and resumed Masters swimming herself, in addition to her coaching duties.
Coach Laurie graduated from Frostburg State University with a degree in Child Psychology with minors in Biology and Sociology. Her professional expertise was in YMCA management, where she most recently served in the capacity of CEO for 12 years specializing in program development, facility planning and construction, fundraising, and grant writing. Additionally, Coach Laurie holds current Coaches Safety, CPR and First Aid, and USA Swimming Coaches certifications, is a USA Swimming Stroke/Turn/Starter Official, WPIAL High School Swimming Official, and a member of ASCA.
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Assistant Coach Dave Seigneur
E-mail Coach Dave Coach David has worked for more than 26 years in reconditioning and progressing cardiac, pulmonary, and cardio-thoracic surgery patients and healthy adults. With this background, he brings to the Dolphins his expertise in conditioning, dry land programming, and pre-rehab for injury prevention. Coach David has a keen interest in teaching proper stroke mechanics especially for injury prevention. He is also a member of the Hampton Dolphins Masters Program.
Coach David graduated from Alma College in Michigan with a Biology major and holds a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology/Cardiac Rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse. Additionally, he holds current Coaches Safety, CPR and First Aid, and USA Swimming Coaches certification.
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Assistant Coach Meredith Colaizzi
Coach Mimi works full time as the Program Coordinator for Girls on the Run at Magee-Womens Hospital. Prior to her involvement with the Hampton Dolphins, she has taught adult and child swim lessons, served as an assistant swim coach and coached several seasons of the Girls on the Run program. A competitive swimmer and runner from a very early age, Coach Mimi has completed four marathons and multiple triathlons including four Ironman distance events. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and holds current certifications in Coaches’ Safety, CPR and First Aid, and USA Swimming Coaching.
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Assistant Coach Andy Kraus
Coach Andy swam competitively prior to and throughout his high school years. He was a 4 time WPIAL qualifier, (2 time WPIAL medalist) and one time PIAA State qualifier. Andy was part of the first relay in Deer Lakes history to qualify for the state meet. He has 5 years plus of experience teaching swim lessons from early children to high school swimmers and coached with a summer team for 3 years prior to joining the Hampton Dolphins staff. Following High School graduation, he is enrolled at ITT Technical Institute and is majoring in CNS- Computer Network Systems the study of Computer Forensics. To stay in shape, Andy Swims with the Dolphin’s Masters program. He holds current certification in Coach's Safety, CPR and First Aid, and has his USA Swimming Coaches Certification.
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Assistant Coach Andy Bielski
Coach Andy has 30+ years of swimming experience. His knowledge of the sport is a combination of
swimming for AMS, high school and college teams, life guarding, eight years teaching swimming for child,
adult and special needs, along with seventeen years leading the Shaler Area Aquatic Club as the head
coach.
His leadership experience is not limited to being the head coach of the Shaler program, but he also spent
time as the head coach for both the boys' and girls' Hampton high school teams. He also was the captain
of the Shaler Area high school swim team, which won both the WPIAL and State titles. He is an inductee
of the Shaler Area High School's Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the swim teams that won WPIAL
and State Championships consecutively for three years.
Coach Andy returns to the Hampton Dolphins, where he was the assistant head coach for the 1988-1989
age group teams that won the Dual League Championship that same year. Members of that aquatic team
would later become the members of Hampton’s high school boys’ 1997 thru 1999 and girls’ 1993 WPIAL
and State Championship teams.
Coach Andy is a graduate of the La Roche College with Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration
& Management and Computer Information Science at the honors level of magna cum laude. He works
at PNC as a member of the Data Governance Organization. He holds current certifications in Coaches
Safety, CPR, First Aid, and USA Swimming’s Athletic Protection.
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Assistant Coach Lauren Henzler
Coach Lauren is the founder of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Girls on the Run
program. She now volunteers with the program and continues to Co-Direct the
annual GOTR 5K event.
Coach Lauren has been a competitive swimmer and runner most of her life. She
still competes and has completed many marathons and Ironman triathlons. She
has competed in the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii three
times. She is a member of the Shaler Area High School Sports Hall of Fame,
was named the Girl Scouts of Western PA Woman of Distinction in the Sports
and Fitness category, and was also nominated for the Dapper Dan Sportswoman
of the Year award.
Coach Lauren graduated from John Carroll University with a degree in Exercise
Science. She has worked as a physical education instructor, personal trainer,
and swimming coach. She has also taught private and group swim lessons to
both children and adults.
Coach Lauren holds current certifications in Coaches' Safety, Athlete Protection,
First Aid, and CPR. |
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