Laurie
Berkow,
Head
Coach
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Coach Laurie combines more than 25
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 the present. 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
Level 2 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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Morgan
Zweygardt,
Assistant Head
Coach
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Coach Morgan comes to the Dolphins
from North Florida Swimming in Jacksonville, FL, where she worked
with swimmers 4-17 years old. She helped start and
led a new branch of NFS at
Jacksonville Golf and Country Club . Coach Morgan was a Florida
Swimming All-Star coach in 2015. She specializes in stroke
technique and age
appropriate training. Morgan is USA Swimming
certified and currently working on her ASCA level 2
training.
She began swimming competitively at
the age of 5 in South Dakota. She was a member of the South
Dakota All-Star and Zone State teams, a sectional qualifier, and
state record holder in backstroke events. Morgan swam for Duquesne
University from 2008-2012. She finaled all four years at the Atlantic 10
Championships in the 100 and 200 backstroke.
Coach Morgan is excited to be back in
Pittsburgh and bring all the knowledge she gained in Florida to the
city she considers home!
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Brandon
Smith,
Developmental and State
Coach
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Coach Brandon began swimming
competitively when he was in 4th grade. He swam locally at ANSC and
continued with that club through high school and then summers
during college. Brandon was both a zone and sectional qualifier
throughout his time with ANSC. He also swam for the high school
team at North Allegheny and was All-American his Senior Year as
well as both a WPIAL and State qualifier all four years. Brandon
then attended Washington and Jefferson College where he still holds
several school records and was a 4-time President’s Athletic
Conference Champion.
Following college, Brandon started
working with young swimmers of all ages through both private and
group lessons which allowed him to share his skills with others.
This made for a good transition to coaching at the Dolphins
beginning in 2017. Brandon enjoys working with the various age
groups, developing their technique and helping them reach their
goals.
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Tilly
Sheets,
Developmental
Coach
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Christina "Tilly" Sheets joined the
Hampton Dolphins in 2013.
Coach Tilly has a combined 15 years of
collegiate coaching experience at Ball State, Clarion, and Chatham
Universities. She is currently working at the University of
Pittsburgh in their center for Academic Support Service for
Student-Athletes. She was Hall of Fame athlete at Clarion
University with accolades including 5-time NCAA DII National
Champion and 28-time All American.
Coach Tilly primarily works with the
developmental group. She enjoys developing proper stroke
technique with these young swimmers.
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David
Seigneur,
Weekend Group
Coach
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Coach David has contributed to the
Hampton Dolphin’s coaching staff since 2009, working both
with age group and Masters swimmers. With his training in exercise
physiology, his interests are in stroke mechanics, avoiding
musculoskeletal issues, and conditioning. He emphasizes
giving attention to each swimmer he oversees, and bringing fun and humor into
practices. He regularly swims with our Masters team, as well as staying in shape
through bicycling, running and weight lifting.
David graduated from Alma College,
Alma, MI, with an undergraduate degree in Biology, and a Masters
degree in clinical exercise physiology from the University of
Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He has Level 2 American Swimming Coaches
Association (ASCA) certification, as well as Coaches Safety, CPR
and First Aid, Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support
certifications. He is a member of USA Swimming, ASCA, and the
American College of Sports Medicine.
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Ava
Retsch,
Developmental
Coach
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Coach Ava’s swimming journey
started when she joined the Dolphins in 5th grade. Now, she swims
for both the Dolphins and the Hampton High School swim team. Ava
was so excited to join the coaching staff as a volunteer in 2015,
becoming one of the same positive role models for current young
Dolphins that she is blessed to have known. She now works part-time
with the developmental and state levels, finding joy in working
with those younger swimmers. She has strengthened her passion
for swimming not only by coaching but also by teaching private and
group swimming lessons since age 11. Ava hopes to continue her
education in a physician assistant program in the fall of
2019.
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Erica
Reynolds,
Developmental
Coach
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Coach Erica started swimming with the
Hampton Dolphins when she was in Middle School, then she swam on
the Hampton High School Team. Erica started coaching her first year
out of college when living in Charleston, West Virginia for the
Charleston Catholic High School team. After moving back to
Pittsburgh in 2012, she began coaching with the Hampton
Dolphins. In 2017, she started helping as the assistant coach
for the Hampton High School Team.
Outside of swimming, she also works
with children as a teacher. Currently she teaches fifth grade (math,
language arts & science) and physical education for K-8 at
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy.
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