Coaches & Directors

We are here to support your needs. If your questions are related to workouts, meets, events, goal setting, and other swimming related needs, please contact your swimmer’s coach. For all administrative questions, such as dues, safety, or policy issues, please contact the board using the link below. 

 

2009-2010 PEAK Board of Directors

President- Amy Castro

Vice President- Kevin Morano

Treasurer- Judy Pearce 

Secretary- Lee Ann Clark

Member-at-Large- Charlotte Eaker

Member-at-Large- Kelly Moody 

 

 

To contact the board, email Peak_Board@pearlandaquatics.org

 

Coaching Staff

Juan Caraveo

Head Coach

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Coach Juan has been involved with competitive swimming as both a swimmer and a coach for 30 years. He began swimming in Temple, TX for the Temple Area Swim Club (TASC.) Coach Juan began his coaching career with TASC working with the developmental group and assisting with the high school group.

Coach Juan graduated from Austin College in Sherman, TX. While at Austin College, Coach Juan also assisted Head Coach Sig Lawson with recruiting athletes, training schedules, and developing strength and conditioning programs.

Coach Juan began his high school head coaching career in 1998 at La Marque High School in La Marque, TX. Two years later he transferred to Dickinson High School.  During his tenure as head coach, from 2000-2004, Coach Juan won one district title and had 20 district champions, 80 regional qualifiers, 15 regional champions, 15 state qualifiers and five state meet finalists.  

In the summer of 2000 Coach Juan and Patty Sweeney shared a vision to bring competitive swimming to the city of Pearland. They began by starting the Silverlake Swim Team, currently the Pearland Pirates (PST). PST has 200 swimmers and competes in the Clear Creek Summer Swim League. In 2003 Coach Juan and Patty started Synergy Aquatics Club with 18 swimmers. Synergy Aquatics has now become Pearland Aquatics (PEAK) and has grown to more than 100 swimmers. To complete the swimming pyramid, Coach Juan opened the Pearland Swim Academy in the spring of 2007. The swim school had 600 young swimmers splash through the pool in the first summer. “My goal is to promote swimming by offering something for all ages and abilities. Swimming has been a big part of my life and has taught me that NOTHING is impossible.”

 

Rick Veal

Assistant Coach

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Title                                     2005-Present                               

Head Coach                          Manvel High School Swimming

                                           Head Age Group Coach  -  PEAK Swimming

 

Education                              Bachelor’s Degree

                                           McNeese State University

 

Experience &                         1992-1994

Accomplishments                   Developmental Coach - Lake Area Pirates Swimming

 

                                           1994-1998

                                           Head Age Group Coach – Lake Area Pirates Swimming

                                               1 Olympic Trials Qualifier

                                               4 Junior National Qualifiers

                                               Multiple State Champions

                                               1997 Zone Team Assistant Coach

                                               Assistant Swim Coach – A.M. Barbe High School

                                               41-1 in four dual meet seasons

 

                                           1998-2005

                                           Head Coach – Angleton Aquatic Club

                                               4 Junior National Qualifiers – 2 Finalists

                                               3 Zones Qualifiers

                                               4 TAGS Qualifiers, 1 TAGS Champion

                                           Head Coach – Angleton High School Swimming

                                               4 District Championships

                                               9 top 3 finishes at District

                                               6 top 3 finishes at Regionals

                                               3 top 15 finishes at 4A State Meet

 

Professional Associations        ASCA Level III Member (top 15% of all swim coaches in America)

& Certifications                      NISCA Member – 13 years

                                           TISCA Member – 8 years – Region 6-4A Representative

                                           PADI – Master Scuba Diver Trainer – 20 year member

                                           Certified - Red Cross CPR, First Aid & Safety Training for Swim Coaches 

 

“I feel I can help anyone improve as a swimmer.  By devoting a lot of time to each individual on a daily basis, everyone improves.  Attention to stroke technique through drills, videotaping, and instant feedback are key components to my coaching style.”

 

Coach Veal is married to Stacey Carter who holds a Masters in Marine Resource Management from Texas A&M – Galveston.  She currently works as a Legal Assistant for Smyser, Kaplan and Veselka in Houston.  Rick and Stacey have a daughter, Abigail Elise Veal, who was born on December 15, 2005.



John T Burke

Assistant Coach

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John Burke joined the Pearland Aquatics staff in March of 2008. An ASCA level 4 coach, John is the primary coach of the Gold group, but helps out with most aspects of the program. Previously, John was an age group coach in Maryland with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and age group coach and founder of the Annapolis Swim Club. In Maryland, he coached swimmers who placed in the top eight and won events at the Maryland All Star and the Eastern Zone meets. His swimmers have also been ranked on the USA Swimming top 16 list and set state records. He was on the Maryland Swimming Board of Directors as the Age Group Chairman.
 
John moved to Texas in August 2006 to be the Head Assistant Coach with Aquastar where he also helped out in most aspects of the club.  Since being in Texas, John has coached swimmers who have qualified for Sectionals, have won TAGS, have been finalists at the Southern Zone meet, and have been ranked on the USA Swimming top 10 list. 
 
John met his wife Ann while they were coaching at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Ann is a sixth grade English/Language Arts teacher in Fort Bend I.S.D. The Burkes reside in Pearland with their children Emma, Klara, Anna and Jack.

Ann Burke

Assistant Coach

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 Coach Ann has been involved in swimming all her life.  She swam competitively from the age of  five through her senior year at Towson University .  Her coaching career began in 1992 with the summer league team at the Seaford Golf and Country Club in Delaware .  She worked with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club from 1998 - 2001 where she met her husband, John.  An ASCA level 3 Coach, Ann has had swimmers compete and place in the top 8 at the Maryland All Star meet as well as the Eastern Zone short course and long course meets.  She also had a swimmer on the USA Swimming top 16 list.  Ann teaches sixth grade English in the Fort Bend ISD. 

 

 

This past summer, Ann added a new title to her swimming life – Swim Mom- when her daughter, Emma, participated in her first summer league season.  She is excited about being back on the pool deck and working with PEAK.

Caitlin Cunningham

Assistant Coach

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 Coach Caitlin has been involved with swimming in Brazoria County since she was nine years old. She began swimming for the Alvin Aquatic Club summer league team and moved onto the Angleton Aquatic Club, Coach Rick’s former club, when she was fifteen. After four years of swimming at Alvin High school, she continued her swimming and studies at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport. During her four years on the Centenary Ladies’ swim team she qualified for the Summit League All-Academic team and swam personal bests every season. On her summer and winter breaks, she swam with PEAK and worked with Coach Juan at the Pearland Swim Academy. Coach Caitlin graduated from college in May 2009 with a BA in English; she hopes to become an English teacher as well as coach swimming for many years to come.