Assistant Coach: Shelby South
What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
I swam for a year round team during my elementary school years. I swam varsity all 4 years in high school and as I continued to college I chose to continue my swimming career with ECU Club Team.
2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
My coach used me as a versatile swim in high school but I enjoyed swimming the 200 Individual Medley and the 400.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
The best piece of advice I took away from my high school coach was that even the smallest improvements whether it be in times or technique we still improvements.
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
Away from the pool I enjoy fishing, riding my bike through trails or finding new spots to explore.
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5. Favorite food?
Ice Cream
6. Favorite beverage?
Root Beer
7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
I hope the Riptide Swimmers take away a strong passion for swimming and a mindset to always push towards new goals.
Masters Swim Club Coach: Taylor Gossett
1. What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
Growing up in Greenville I swam on a summer swim team for 9 years. I took a few years off from the pool before I later became a life guard and began swim training again. I focused on strengthening my freestyle and began competing in Triathlons. I have now competed in Sprint Triathlons for the last 8.5 years.
2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
While swimming summer swim team as a child I LOVED swimming the 100IM because it gave me a chance to swim all four strokes. Fast forward 20 years and I am not as fond of the IM, I much more prefer a longer distance freestyle swim!
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
Something I learned from one of my coaches that has held true to many things in life, is that there will always be someone better than you so don’t let that get you down instead be the best YOU can be!
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
My love for the water is very evident because even when not working at the pool I prefer to be by the water either at the beach, river, or pool relaxing and swimming around. From spending long summers at Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head with my dad’s family growing up and living in Wilmington NC for 6 months I long to move back to the beach permanently one day.
5. Favorite food?
When it comes to favorite foods its so hard to narrow it down to just a few, but I love all kinds of fruit, chicken salad, eggs, peanut butter and cheeseburgers.
6. Favorite beverage?
I am constantly drinking lots of water as it is probably my favorite drink. I also love almond milk!
7. What is one thing you hope Masters swimmers learn from you?
Exercise is so important in our lives and especially as we grow older. I hope by coaching Masters it teaches/encourages the swimmers to engage in healthy movements daily and to choose swimming as a main source of this for the great workout it provides through cardio, resistance and strength training!
Assistant Coach/ Masters: Jamie Rice
1. What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
I swam on the Wilson rec team for 6 years then went on to swim in High School at Southern Nash and College in Raleigh. I've been coaching since 2015 1st at a facility much like Aquaventure in Raleigh and then for Aquaventure from 2016 up through now.
2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
My specialty strokes were butterfly and breaststroke, with my favorite being butterfly.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
A piece of knowledge given to me by my coach was that "Winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners!" I try to encourage my swimmers to focus on themselves to better their swimming abilities.
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
Outside of the pool, my favorite thing to do is play with my golden retriever puppy " Finnegan" and let him jump off the pier fetching tennis balls!
5. Favorite food?
My favorite food is steak !!!!!
6. Favorite beverage?
My favorite drink is Mellow Yellow or something with an umbrella in it!
7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
If I can pass one thing off to my swimmers at Riptides it's this: "The finish line will always be moving, and some days you might not catch it, but keep your head down, your hopes high, and just keep swimming!"
Assistant Coach: Mackenzie Maye
1. What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
I swam year round until my sophomore year of high school, then did HS team and am now on the ECU club swim team.
2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
Backstroke is my favorite stroke and my favorite events are 100 back and 200 free.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
Never get lazy on your kick! If your arms are getting tired in a race, kick harder.
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
Spend time with friends and family.
5. Favorite food?
Anything from Chick-fil-A!
6. Favorite beverage?
I only drink water.
7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
We want you to succeed. Pushing yourself can be the most challenging thing about swimming, but if you do that you will love the outcome.
Stroke Clinics: Sara Morgan Woods
1. What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
I first started swim lessons at Raynez Swim School at 3 years old and then swam for Greenville Swim Club (now East Carolina Aquatics), Rose High School, and finally East Carolina University. I continue to keep up my swimming fitness for triathlons. I have coached club teams, high school teams, and taught group and private swim lessons at multiple facilities in Greenville to swimmers of all ages.
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2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
My favorite stroke is backstroke because you get to breathe the whole time! My best event was 400IM but I also swam 200IM and 200BK.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
"It is better to try and fail than to not try at all"
I don't remember who said it to me but it's stuck with me ever since. You can learn more from a bad practice or race than you can from a good one.
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
My hobbies include singing in the Greenville Choral Society, training and competing in triathlons, traveling with my husband, and playing with our two dogs, Muffin and Ghost!
5. Favorite food?
Hands down Pasta, of any kind! A close second is ice cream!
6. Favorite beverage?
Sweet tea and handmade orangeades!
7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
I hope they learn that proper stroke technique is the foundation of swimming. Sometimes it's better short term to sacrifice speed for technique, so that long term results can improve! It's not always about winning and going fast, it's about training for set goals!
Assistant Coach: Brianna Wike
1. What is your swimming background (year-round, high school, collegiate, etc)?
I began swimming for my neighborhood summer league team at age 4 & by age 6 I was a year round swimmer. I swam year round for 14 years in Huntersville NC for SwimMac Carolina & Enfinity Aquatics Club. I was also a member of my High school swim team, William Amos Hough High School.
2. What is/was your favorite swim stroke and event?
As a young swimmer I always loved breaststroke, especially the 100. However as I got older and grew in the sport I became more of a sprint freestyler and now love the 50 and 100 freestyle.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches teach you that you use in your own coaching techniques?
I had experienced many different coaches and coaching styles over my 14 years. One of the biggest things I learned is that a coaches mood affects the swimmers in the pool and outside of the pool. I want my swimmers to enjoy swimming, coming to practice, and having me as a coach. I will always do my best to be positive and encouraging at practice and meets so my swimmers can have the best environment to learn and grow in. Swimming shouldn’t feel like a job it should be enjoyable and rewarding. I know that my perspective on this effects my swimmers.
4. What is your favorite thing to do when you're away from the pool?
When I’m not at the pool I am spending time with my friends or heading to the beach to surf.
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5. Favorite food?
My favorite food is steak and mashed potatoes
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6. Favorite beverage?
My favorite beverage is Dr. Pepper
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7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
Coming from a team with a much different dynamic, I hope that I can teach the riptide swimmers that being dedicated to swimming can be enjoyable and rewarding, and while some days are hard everyday can be fun.
Dryland Coach: Alyssa Stanley
1. What is your workout/training background?
I started weight training for martial arts about 15 years ago. Fell in love with the gym and got my certification in personal training. I’ve spent 12 years focusing on sports and agility training athletes from all different type of sports backgrounds.
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2. What is your favorite style of workout (yoga, weights, etc.)?
Weight lifting is my favorite style of working out.
3. What piece of knowledge did one of your coaches or trainers teach you that you use in your own training techniques?
My mentor in Taekwondo always made sure to stress the importance of good form and how hard it is to correct bad form. That is a game changer as an athlete. To focus on your form first and let the rest come after.
4. What is your favorite thing to do during downtime?
Spending time with my husky is my favorite thing to do when I am not working!
5. Favorite food?
Sushi
6. Favorite beverage?
The Starbucks menu.
7. What is one thing you hope Riptide swimmers learn from you?
I hope my time training the Riptide swimmers helps them to develop a true passion for their sport and their overall fitness. I would love to see them coaching one day!