Bill Schalz - Owner / Director of Swimming Operations email

Bill Schalz started his career in Dubuque, IA as the head coach for the Wahlert HS women’s team. While there, the Eagles compiled a 24-6 record and a top 10 finish at the Iowa High School State Meet.

From 1986-1994, Bill Schalz was the head coach of the Aurora YMCA Swim Team. During those years, the national team grew from one swimmer to sixteen. In 1984, Bill’s last year, the Aurora YMCA finished 8th at YMCA Nationals. (Their highest finish ever)

Since 1988, Bill has been joined on the pool deck with his wife, Robin who as age group coach, has developed many of the swimmers who went on to national prominence. Since 1994, Bill and Robin have been owners of the Academy Bullets Swim Club.

Professional Experience & Honors

Coaching Achievements

Over twenty years USS and High School coaching experience.
Head Coach of Rosary High School Swim Team.
Head Coach of Marmion Academy Swim Team
Director of Aquatics, Marmion Academy

Bill has served or currently serves Illinois Swimming, Inc. as:
General Chairman, Program Operations Vice-Chairman,
Administrative Vice-Chair, Mid-States Coordinator

Bill currently is the Central Zone General Chair, sits on the Club Development Committee for USA Swimming, Inc. and the Right to Participate task force for the American Swimming Coaches Association.

12 United States Olympic Trials Qualifiers.
2 Olympians
2 European Championship Medalists
5 World ranked swimmers.
10 USA Swimming Junior National Champions.
1 United States Olympic Festival Champion.
3 USA National Junior Team Member.
9 USA Swimming National Finalists.
Over 40 USA Swimming Junior National Qualifiers.
Over 100 nationally ranked swims.
Over 30 YMCA National Qualifiers.

Illinois Swimming, Inc. Coach of the Year

Illinois Swim Association High School State Coach of the Year

High School Sectional Coach of the Year

1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003

1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008

1992, 1994, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008

Todd Capen - Head Coach / Elite & Gold Teams email

Todd started out with the Bullets as a swimmer on our National Team. Todd was a member of the 1997 team that won the Junior National Meet in Orlando, FL. In that meet, Todd was a member of three winning relays and finished top 8 in three individual events. Todd went earned a swimming scholarship from Northwestern University, where he broke the team record in the 400 IM. Todd competed at the 2000 USA Olympic Trials.

Todd joined the Bullets staff in 2001 as the Head Age Group Coach. Todd also has been instrumental in working with Bill to grow the competitive and lesson programs to their current size. Since Todd has joined the team, The Bullets have won their first ever Age Group State Championship (seven total - LC 2005, SC 2006, LC 2006, LC 2007, SC 2008, LC 2008, SC 2009) and have never finished lower than 5th. Todd has coached numerous State Champions and National Reportable Times. He has served on three Team Illinois Zone staffs. Todd has been named Illinois Age Group Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2008. On August 1st, 2006, Todd Capen was named Head Coach of the team. Todd is the Age Group Vice-Chair for Ilinois Swimming.

Mike Laurich - Head Site Coach / Lewis University email

Mike joins the Bullets this season as the Head Coach of the Lewis University satellite team. Mike was a seven-time Division III All-American at North Central College during his swimming years. He began his coaching career with Bill Schalz at the Aurora YMCA from 1987 thru 1990. From 1990-2005, Mike was the Head Coach of the Hinsdale Swim Club, tranforming the team to one of the most successful swim teams in Illinois. Mike also served as the assistant (91-99) and head coach (99-00) of the Hinsdale Central High School boys team. In 2005, Mike accepted the position as the Head Coach of the Lyons Swim Club. While at Lyons the past four years, Mike grew the program in both numbers and success, taking Lyons from the 34th ranked club in Illinois in the Virtual Club Championship to 14th. Mike was responsible for develping a senior level program at Lyons that produced 3 junior and 2 short course national qualifiers. Mike has coached numerous state, sectional, zone, and national level swimmers, including State Champion and Olympic Trial qualifiers.

Kelly Capen - Head Age Group Coach / Silver II Team email

Kelly began swimming competitively at the age of 11 for Foxjet Swim Club in Eden Prairie, MN. She competed at the collegiate level for four years representing University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and was a Division III All-American. After college, Kelly attended graduate school at Ball State University where she also served as the Assistant Women's Coach for their swim team. From 2002-2005, Kelly served as the Head Age Group Coach of the Naperville Riptide Swim Team. Kelly has coached Olympic Trials qualifiers, Junior National qualifiers, Illinois State Champions, and numerous swimmers with National Reportable Times.

Kyle H Capen - Senior Team / Swim Lesson Director email
Kyle has been assisting with the Senior program for the past five years. He was a a HS All-American at Naperville North HS and swam for the Bullets during his HS years. Kyle swam at the varsity level for Washington University in St. Louis, where he received his degree in Psychology. Kyle also has coached with Bill at Marmion Military Academy for the past five years. Kyle has worked with all levels of swimmers from beginning to the elite level.

Kyle is also the Program Director for Swim With Bill, our lesson program. Kyle has worked with our program as an instructor, a site supervisor, and now the Program Director.

Bryan Lederhouse - Senior Team Coach email

Bryan is beginning his first season with the Academy Bullets. For last 14 years, Bryan served as the head coach of the Aurora YMCA Sharks. Prior to joining the Sharks, Bryan was the head coach at Falcon Aquatics in his hometown of Sanborn, NY and also coached the Boys’ and Girls’ teams at Niagra Wheatfield High School. Bryan earned his BS in physical education from Wheaton College in 1993 and has also done graduate work in exercise science at SUNY-Buffalo. While at Wheaton, Bryan was a four year letter-winner in swimming, serving as varsity captain his senior year.

Laura Schaefer - Silver I Team Coach email
Laura began her swimming career with Bill Schalz on the Westwind Wahoos before joining the Academy Bullets. Laura swam for Rosary High School and was a captain her senior season. She began coaching in 2003 for the Geneva River Rats, primarily working with their 8&U swimmers. She began coaching for the Bullets in 2005, and is currently the lead coach of the Silver I Team. Laura is in her senior year at Aurora University and is pursuing a degree in education. Laura's knowledge of the sport has been a welcome addition to our younger athletes.

Ken Carlson - Assistant Coach / Silver II Team email

Ken has been coaching competitive swimming for 15 years on various levels. He has coached age-group, high school, college and masters for several area teams. This will be his 3rd season with the Bullets. He coaches Rosary High School in the fall and Bullets after Thanksgiving. Bill’s wife, Robin, was Ken’s 8 and Under coach before Bill and Robin met. He currently swims for Academy Masters and continues to compete after 26 years of swimming (his times are a shade faster than when he was an 8 and Under). He is a third grade teacher in North Aurora and has a size nine shoe.

Sarah Pauly - Assistant Coach / Silver I & II Team email

Sarah started her swimming career at age 8 while swimming for the Aurora Country Club. She continued her swimming career with the Aurora YMCA Sharks, where she swam for 8 years under Bryan Lederhouse, a fellow Bullets coach. In addition to the Sharks, Sarah spent 4 years competing for West Aurora High School.

Sarah will be making her debut with the Academy Bullets this season. Prior to joining the Bullets staff, Sarah had served as an assistant coach for the Aurora YMCA Sharks since 2005. She has also spent three seasons with the Geneva River Rats Swim Team, where she has become the head coach of the 8&U age-group. In December, Sarah will receive her degree in Secondary Education from Indiana University.

» Nancy Hooper - Bronze Team Coach email

Nancy joined the Bullets in the 2007-2008 winter season as a coach for the Bronze Team after being a Bullet parent for the past 5 years. Her love of the sport and entusiasm for teaching the kids has helped turn our 8&U swimmers into some of the best in the state.

Nancy's love for swimming began as an 8 & under. She swam as an age grouper for BR Ryall YMCA. She was a multiple National YMCA champion and record holder. She also swam for Arizona State University while in college.

She has two children, Kelly and Brian. Brian has been a swimmer for the Bullets since 2002. He is now swimming for Boston College, where he is a student.

» Erin O'Neil - Bronze Team Coach email

» Stephen Thompson - Assistant Coach / Lewis U. Coach email

A 1995 graduate of the University of Tennessee and has extensive coaching experience with teams throughout the country. Prior to coming to Lewis U. and the Bullets, he was at the Greenville Swim Club in North Carolina. At GSC, he coached two nationally ranked swimmers. Thompson began his coaching career in Knoxville, TN, as the head coach of Farragut High School. Under Steve’s direction, six Lewis swimmers have earned 23 NCAA Division II All-American honors and his swimmers have broken 41 school records. Lewis has finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Division II Championships three consecutive years. The women’s team has finished in the top 30 each of the last three years.

Chris Colburn - Masters Team Head Coach email

Chris joined Academy Bullets Masters in 2006 as a coach and swimmer. He has been involved in swimming since 1980 and coaching since 1990. Prior to his tenure with the Bullets, Chris coached with 6 masters and 2 YMCA age-group programs in Massachusetts, Delaware, and Illinois, and has also served as head coach at North Central College and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA).

Chris has worked with swimmers of all ages and ability levels, and has spent much of his coaching career researching breaststroke mechanics and developing quality and recovery-oriented training for adults. He has had a number of articles published in SWIM, USMS SWIMMER, and Swimming World magazines over the past ten years, and has conducted many clinics at the college and masters levels. Chris also writes the weekly feature "Masters Swimming with DrCoachChris" for swimnetwork.com.

When not on the deck or in the pool with the Bullets, Chris works as an IT engineer, swim coach, and linguistics instructor at IMSA. At the state level, Chris is the President of the Illinois Masters Swimming Association (ILMSA), and was named the 2009 ILMSA Coach of the Year. Nationally, he is the Chair of the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) Coaches Committee, and recently served on the USMS Club Development Task Force.