Interscholastic Coach of the Month Award - December
December 21, 2015 | By
Coaches are the backbone of any swim team and frequently the unsung heroes of an athlete’s success. They are the instructors, motivators, teachers and role models for many young athletes and swimmers. That’s why it’s important that SwimOutlet.com partners with organizations like the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA). Every month, we recognize a different coach around the country for their tireless devotion to our sport and its athletes with our SwimOutlet.com Coach of the Month Award.
This month’s SwimOutlet.com Coach of the Month spotlights Gillian Sutera, a 9-year coaching veteran at Minisink Valley Slate Hill in Middletown, New York. Congrats!
Name: Gillian Sutera
School: Minisink Valley Slate Hill, NY
Hometown: Middletown, NY
Years Coaching: 9
Biggest Team Success: Having our divers place in the top 5 for the past 2 years at the New York State Public High School Swimming and Diving Championships.
Favorite Thing About Coaching: One of my favorite things about coaching is being able to witness athletes who are dedicated day in and day out succeed and achieve their goals after spending a lot of time and hard work in and out of the pool. Seeing a kid’s character being shaped through times of adversity is sometimes difficult but the end result is often positive. Knowing that the lessons learned on the diving board and in the pool will help them throughout life’s tough times is also very rewarding.
Favorite Drill for Your Team: We stack mats on the diving board so that they are sitting about three feet on top of the boards. The divers do various front and back lineup drills as well as drills for kicking out of dives. This is helpful since our school does not have access to 3 meter boards. The extra height allows the diver time to get into the proper lineup position before hitting the water. It’s also a lot of fun!
Congratulations, Coach Gillian!
Check back next month for January's SwimOutlet.com Interscholastic Coach of the Month recipient.
