Coaches & Directors

Brad Hering

Head Coach

Email

480-472-2545

Brad and Traci Hering have four kids, Zeb 8, Olivia 6, Boaz 4 and Hannah 2 (a relay).  Brad started swimming when he was seven years old in Scottsdale,Az  and became first in the nation in the 50 meter butterfly 11-12 years old at Kino Jr. High against the Mexican National team. Traci led a much more balanced life, enjoying competitive gymnastics, softball, swimming and diving. 

Glen L Coy

Head Age Group Coach

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Glen Coy is a Utah transplant who moved to Arizona for the availability of year round outdoor activities. Glen’s full time job is teaching junior high and high school physical education. When he isn’t teaching or coaching, he can usually be found enjoying his boat on one of the Valley’s many lakes, practicing for or participating in wakeboarding tournaments.

Born and raised in Utah, Glen swam for Clearfield High School Swim Team, graduating in 1984. He still holds the school record in the 500 free. In college, he swam for Truman State University in Missouri, where he held records in both the 200 back and the 800 free relay.

Glen has coached at the club level since 1993, mainly coaching the 14 and under age groups.  He holds a Level IV ASCA certification. Several of his age group swimmers, both former and present, have earned National Age Group Recognition,  hold State Records, are State Champions as well as top 8 finishers at State Championships and Far Westerns.   Glen also has coached several age group swimmers who have gone on to be Olympic Trial Qualifiers.  One former swimmer is a National Record Holder, as well. Swimmers who had Glen as their age group coach have gone on to swim for many colleges around the country, including U-Conn, Stanford, BYU, Washington, U of A, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, and Drury. 
 

In addition to club coaching, Glen coaches at the high school level. He has been a high school swimming coach since 1995, coaching at two 5A schools: Mountain Pointe boys from 95-98 and  Mountain View girls from 1999 to present. During that time, he has earned numerous coaching recognitions, including High School Coach of the Year in 02, 03, 05 and 06. Among his high school swimmers, are several High School State Champions, High School State Record Holders and High School All Americans.
 

Glen has been wakeboarding for 12 years and has been the Masters State Champion from 2003 to 2009. Glen is a big fan of PB and J sandwiches, cheese pizza and chocolate chip cookies! He stays busy with teaching, coaching and wakeboarding. He is single and a big sports fan, but the girls like him anyway.

Janine Simioni

age group, Pre comp., special needs

Email

 480-472-2545

Coach Janine Simioni began swimming at age 7 for the Santa Barbara YMCA and continued her competitive career with the SBCATS where she held the most team records and became one of the top ten Age Group Swimmers in Southern California.  She went on to train for the 1980 time trials as she excelled in the 50 and 100 Freestyle as well as the 200 IM.

Janine has been Head Coach and directed the RMLS Seadogs Swim Team for the past eight years where she helped develop a successful competitive year round program while continuing to coach the summer recreational program.  She carries a Level 3 ASCA certification and has taught over 300 kids and adults to swim.

Janine is currently employed at Gilbert Public Schools where she works with children with disabilities and is a part time staff member at the Marc Center where she teaches adults with learning disabilities day-to-day living skills. She retired from being an Airvac Paramedic working out of a trauma level 1 and level 2 hospitals. She also retired from the Sheriffs scuba search and rescue team after 14 fun filled years. She and her husband Mark along with her two children, Cody and Jennifer, have lived in Mesa for the past ten years and she looks forward to working with the young children at Mesa Aquatics.

Robert C Ronan

Senior Coach

Email

480-250-0305

Coach Rob Ronan is a life-long swimmer. Rob swam for the ’original’ Mesa Aquatics swim club from the age of 10 and continued club swimming including a short term in Milan, Italy.  A graduate of Mountain View High School in 1994, Rob still holds the school record in the 100 butterfly. Rob served as the head coach of Seton High School where he was selected Coach of the Year in 2000. Rob is currently the head boys coach at Mountain View High School

Mike A Peterson

Senior Coach

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Coach Mike  Peterson has 18 years of experience coaching at the high school level in Arizona and California having won 2 team, 6 individual, and 2 relay championships. Mike also has 5 years of experience as a club coach. A graduate of Scottsdale High School, Mike later swam for NJCAA championship teams at Diablo Valley College where he earned All-america honors. Mike moved on to swim one year at Arizona State University and has competed at the national level in the Masters program. Mike teaches Science at Red Mountain High School where he also serves as the head swim coach.                  

Kristian B Thalin

Senior Asst. Coach

Email

472-2545

I am 23 years old and grew up in a small village called Landsbro in Sweden.
 
I have a big passion for sports and leadership. I have been involved in a lot of different sports ever since I learned to walk. As an athlete I have a background in ice hockey. I’ve played ice hockey for 12 years. In 2005 when I graduated from high school I realized that I wanted to teach P.E., physical education. So I had to quit playing ice hockey in order to give all my time and commitment to studying. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. After high school, I went to study at the University of Växjö, Sweden. I graduated as a high school teacher of P.E. in May 2008.
 
I have a broad educational background. Besides being a teacher of P.E., I am also a certified lifeguard, swimming instructor and also certified as a Swedish and American swimming coach.
 
I also have broad coaching and instructor experience background. I’ve been working with a lot of sports such as ice hockey, soccer, acrobatics, track & field and of course, swimming. I have had the privilege to work with children from the age of four in swim schools all the way up to professional athletes in different areas and sports. During my teacher’s education, I specialized in strength and flexibility for young and professional athletes. The knowledge I gained during those years is something that I always try to apply to my athletes.
 
I started to coach competitive swimming in 2006 in a club called HVETLANDS SIMSALLSKAP (HVSS). I was working as a assistant coach under head coach Richard Nicholls, who moved from England to Sweden to coach swimming. Richard has  30+ years of experience in the sport and has been a true mentor for me in my coaching journey.
 
One of my biggest dreams in life has always been to come to America and work with athletic development. In February this year my dream came true. In Feb, 2009 I moved toTempe, AZ to take care of Isaak 8, Taylor 8 and Hunter 10. I taught them how to swim in their backyard pool. Isaak started to compete and I signed him up for a state meet at Kino pool. During the meet I met Brad and became his assistant coach. I have been coaching with Brad since august, 2009. There are no words big enough to describe how grateful I am for the opportunity Brad has given me. For me every single second on deck together with Brad, Rob and our swimmers counts, I don’t want to miss a thing!  Because of my amazing coaching journey so far, I always encourage people to dream big in life. I also believe that sometimes you have to give away something - in order to get what you really want. In my life, I had to give away the ice hockey and my old swimming club.  Even though these things where very hard at the time, it was the right thing to do.
 
No matter what sport I coach I always emphasize a lot on team building and trust building activities. Building trust withing a group is my core philosophy. After having worked with kids I learned that trust, creativity and patience are the key components for a successful swimming coach. For the rest of my life I am committed encourage people to go after their dreams in life and following one’s heart.  
 
When I coach sports I try to teach positive attitudes, discipline, and a hard work ethic both in and out of the water and on and off fields. I try to create an empowering environment where young kids and youths can learn every aspect of their sports and improve their skills. I teach my athletes and students to have respect for the individual and to achieve personal goals and dreams. My athletes and students have to learn to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat in all areas of life.
 
My core motto is: HAVE FUN, DREAM BIG AND ALWAYS BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE! 
 
Additional facts:
 
- I am a vegetarian since 2007
 
- Attended to the ASCA Clinic this year in Fort Lauderdale, FL
 
- Love live music
 
- Has a ASCA level 1 certifikation (Level 2 is on its way!)

Sam Hewson

Team Marketing Manager

Email

 480-543-9920

Sam comes from a strong line of swimming history in the state of Colorado and Arizona.  Raised in Colorado Sam was coached by his father who organized and formed the Loveland Swim Club. During his high school years, Sam was an All American in four events and national record holder in the 100 backstroke in 1977. Sam swam for ASU from 1977-1980, 1982-1984 and was ASU’s first PAC 10 swimming champion in the 100 freestyle and awarded swimmer of the year. Sam was an All American and qualified for the Olympic Trials in both 1980 and 1984. Recently, Sam was inducted into the Athletes Hall of Fame at Thompson Valley High School in Loveland.

Sam went back to Colorado and pursued his career in education and coaching in Estes Park, Colorado. While teaching Physical Education/Heath & Swimming, Sam organized the Estes Park Swim Club in 1986 and coached this club until the fall of 2007. While coaching club, Sam also coached the high school program. During his tenure as a coach of the smallest swimming school in the state (350 kids in their high school), Sam won 17 conference titles and two state titles. In 1998 his girl’s high school team won the national power point, and were crowned champions. He has been named Coach of the Year 10 times, in addition to Age Group Coach of the Year, and CHSAA coach of the year for 4 terms. Sam has served on many state and national boards of directors in many swimming capacities.

Sam, a Level 5 ASCA ceertified coach, developed a grass roots program that produced 12 All-Americans, 14 National Qualifiers, and 3 Olympic Trial Qualifiers. Over 16 athletes from his program have been awarded scholarships to major Universities.

After 24 years of teaching, Sam is currently working for Schryver Medical, a long term care service provider in medical diagnostic care. He is married to his wife Tammy who has four sons, Matt who is married in Oklahoma, Chris, who is 22 and attending the University of Oklahoma, Hunter, 15 and Trapper who is 12 now livening in Gilbert, AZ. Sam has three daughters. The twins, Makenzie, 18 who will be attending the University of Wyoming on a swimming scholarship, Lauren, who is 18 attending the University of Utah and Kate, 12, who is living in Colorado with her mother.

Sam will be working with Mesa Aquatics as the Director of Swimming and will be our team’s liaison for steering our club in the right direction in the coming months and years to come.

Rory Russell

Diving Head Coach

Email

Diving Head Coach:

Rory Russell 602-402-7267
mesadivers1@yahoo.com
Rory has been coaching since 1978. He has coached many divers on different levels from novice to collegiate. Coach Russell has produced 21 state champions and five regional champions. Several of his divers have made it to Junior Olympic Nationals and Senior Nationals, placing as high as second. Rory has also coached several Arizona high school state champion divers.