Paul J Stafford
Head Coach
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Paul joined the Ford Aquatics staff in October of 2014. Paul
comes to Tucson from the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern
California where he was the co-founder of Lamorinda Aquatic Club
(more commonly known as LAMO Aquatics). LAMO merged with
Concord Pleasant Hill Swim Club in 1989 to form the Terrapins Swim
Team. Paul led the Terrapin Age Group program for 24 years as
the Head Age Group coach before becoming the Head Coach in
2006. Between the years of 2009-2012 Paul placed more
athletes on the USA National Junior team than any coach in the
United States (13). Paul is also one of two coaches in the
Nation who have led programs of less than 100 swimmers to Gold
Medal Club status.
Paul's body of work over the course of 35 years in the sport
is significant, and he is recognized as one of the top
developmental coaches in the sport. Paul has placed athletes
on many USA Swimming International Teams including the World
University Games, Pan Pac Games, and World Championship
teams. His athletes have set Pacific records, National Age
Group records, and one American Record (50 meter breast held
for a total of 6 hours). All of these were accomplished with
home grown athletes that were developed under Paul’s
direction from youngsters until their graduation from High
school. Paul has 4 grown children (Sarah, Theresa,
Christianna, and John).
Austin Ringquist
Head Age Group Coach
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Austin Ringquist joined Ford
Aquatics in May 2015. Born in Hillsboro, Oregon, he started
swimming at the age of 5, later attended the University of Florida
for two years, and finished his collegiate swimming career swimming
and graduated from the University of Arizona in August, 2015.
During Austin's swimming career, he competed at the Pac-12
championships, National Championships, Olympic Trials,
and 2010 Inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Austin started his coaching career
with Ford working with the Silver group in the Summer of
2015 and now oversees the age group program. Austin enjoys
working with the other great coaches on Ford in addition to the
passionate and hard working kids on the team. When he is not
coaching at Ford, he enjoys being outdoors, golfing, and spending
time with friends and family.
Emma Munsch
Senior Coach
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Emma Darlington Munsch is a Tucson
native who attended Salpointe Catholic High School, and swam for
FORD Aquatics from 2004-2007. After high school she attended
and swam collegiately for the University of Arizona where she
received her B.A in History, minor in Psychology, and her Masters
in Teaching and Teacher's Education. During her career at the
University of Arizona she was an NCAA qualifier all four years,
two-time NCAA All-American, three-time PAC-10 Champion, two-time
Olympic Trials qualifier, USA Swimming National Champion,
Co-Captain, and a member of the 2008 Pac-10 and NCAA
Championship team.
Emma has been with FORD since
2014 and has helped athletes achieve qualifying times
for State Championships, Sectionals, Junior and Senior
Nationals, and Olympic Trials. In 2018 she served as the
Assistant Women's Coach for the NCSA All-American team in Dublin,
Ireland. She is thankful to be able to do what she loves and work
with an awesome group of kids at FORD.
Rick B Laing
Senior Coach
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Senior Coach Rick Laing joined
Ford Aquatics in May 2014. Before that Coach Rick was the
Head Coach of El Dorado Aquatics from November 2008 - May 2014.
Coach Rick moved to Tucson in 2000 from New Zealand, where he
earned his international coaching reputation. With over 15 years
experience on deck, coaching age groupers right up to Olympic
medalists, he coached along side his father, legendary New Zealand
coach Duncan Laing. Coach Rick mentored New Zealand star Danyon
Loader who won gold in the 200 and the 400 freestyle at the 1996
Atlanta Olympics and silver in the 200 fly at the 1992 Barcelona
games. He also coached Olympian Liz van Welie.
(Under Coach Rick, EDAC swimmers
competed exceptionally well in local, state, and regional meets.
Locally, in non-USA swimming events, EDAC won the 2010 Santa Cruz
SAAA League Championship, and placed well in high school state
championships including an EDAC 2009 state champion in three events
and two seniors, one of whom was a freshman, in A finals in 2010.
At the year-around state level, EDAC swimmers amassed three top
three high point trophies, multiple state titles and top three
medals, as well as top 5 high point winners at Arizona Age-group
State Championships in 2009-2010 seasons. Regionally, in 2010, six
EDAC swimmers went to Far Westerns, winning one title and nine top
8 medals. Coach Rick has also coached three EDAC swimmers to top 10
or top 20 national rankings in their main events.
John Condit
Age Group Coach
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John Condit joined Ford
Aquatics in September 2014. Born in the Philippines, he grew up in
San Diego, California, then moved to Tucson. John has been around
the water throughout his childhood. He started competitive swimming
at the age of 12. John swam varsity all four years in high school,
as well as for Ford Aquatics his junior and senior years of high
school. He also worked as an instructor and deck manager at DeMont
Family Swim School from 2012-2015. During those times he also
helped coach with his father who previously an SAAA coach, is now a
head coach for a USA club swim team, FAST.
John started his career at Ford
working with the Silver and Elite group as an assistant coach in
the winter of 2014. He is now currently the lead coach for the
Silver group, and co-lead for age group development as well as
the Ford Mustang lessons group. John loves working with the youth
of our community in preparing them to become not only better
swimmers, but also better people through individual progress,
family participation, and team unity. He has a younger brother that
he loves who also swims competitively. John's goal is to fulfill a
lifelong dream of coaching swimming and giving back to the
community some of what was given to him by his coaches and the
sport.
Jim Stites
Head Coach Masters Swimming
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Jim has served as the Ford Masters
coach since 1990. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he followed
legendary Arizona coach, Frank Busch to Tucson when Frank first
made his move to the desert. Since becoming the head masters coach,
Jim has grown the program from 30 swimmers to more than 140.
Jim swam in college at the
University of Cincinnati. He continues to swim, cycle, and run. Jim
runs both the morning and noon workouts.
