RSA Swim Team Coaching Staff
The coaching staff at RSA boasts a wide breadth of experience, a strong commitment to helping young student-athletes grow, and a genuine passion for the sport of swimming.
Coach Ethan joined RSA in 2023. He graduated from SUNY New Paltz where he was a student athlete and three-time team captain for the Hawks. Coach Ethan set individual, program and conference records while attending SUNY.
As a graduate student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Coach Ethan worked as an Assistant Coach for the University. During this time, the swim team broke numerous records and had success at NCAA Division III Championships. Coach Ethan also co-founded a USA Swimming club team and coached US Masters athletes.
Coach Ethan left Wesleyan for Bucknell University where he coached the backstroke and IM groups. In addition, Coach Ethan was the Head Senior Group Coach for a local YMCA swim team. He coached multiple Top 8 finishes at YMCA Nationals. His athletes remain state and national record holders for YMCA swimming.
Coach Ethan left Bucknell to coach at Duke University. During his time at Duke, the women’s team qualified the most athletes for the NCAA Championships in program history. Two breaststrokers in his group achieved top 8 All-American status.
In the past two years, Coach Ethan has been working for Wolfpack Elite and running Red and White Swim Camps. He has traveled with professional swimmers to meets, coached alongside the NC State University college staff, and conducted private lessons with athletes of all ages from the surrounding areas. In addition, he has provided video analysis for RSA athletes and coached select practices for RSA.
Coach Ethan leads the Senior Gold practice group and works alongside Coach David with the Dolphin practice group.
Away from the pool deck, Coach Ethan is always active. If he is not in the pool, on the basketball court, or in the weight room, he is watching sports on TV. Ethan and his wife, Danielle, enjoy hiking, the beach, and puzzles and games. They have two small dogs, Peanut Butter and Toast, who love being outdoors.
Coach Ronnie graduated from York College of PA where he was a student athlete for the Spartans, swimming IM and breaststroke events. His favorite event was the 200IM. Coach Ronnie graduated with a degree in Marketing and Minors in Marketing Communications and Advertising.
After college, Coach Ronnie co-founded a USA Swimming club team in Connecticut with Coach Ethan and started coaching local high school teams. He also joined the staff of Wesleyan University as an Assistant Coach. After three years at his club team in Middletown, Connecticut, Coach Ronnie was named the Head Age Group Coach at Ridgefield Aquatic Club (RAC).
After joining RAC, Coach Ronnie coached many levels of athletes, including new age group swimmers swimming in their first USA Swimming meet, as well as Summer National Qualifiers and Eastern Zone Champions. In addition, Coach Ronnie coached Ridgefield High School Girls and Boys teams and a summer league team in Middletown. His favorite event to coach is the 400IM.
Coach Ronnie was also very active in the local LSC in Connecticut. At the LSC Board of Directors level, he served as the Junior/Senior Representative for two years before becoming the Age Group Committee Chair of Connecticut Swimming. Coach Ronnie has served in this role for the past four years. In addition, he has been either an Assistant Coach or the Head Coach of the Connecticut LCM Zones team since from 2018.
Coach Ronnie holds ASCA Education certifications in the following: Level 1 Principals for Success, Level 2 The Strokes, Level 3 Physiology and Analytics, Level 4 Leadership and Swimming Strength and Conditioning. He also holds two Level 4 ASCA USA Swimming Performance Certifications at the Senior and Age Group Coach level based on the performances of his past swimmers.
Outside of the pool, Coach Ronnie lives and breathes his Boston sports and UConn Huskies. He is a foodie and loves to try new restaurants and can be found in the kitchen cooking new recipes. He listens to all types of new and old music, enjoys biking, gaming, and spending time with his friends and family.
Coach Ronnie leads the PreSenior and Wahoo practice groups, in addition to his other responsibilities as the Head Age Group Coach. Be sure to ask Coach Ronnie how ramen equates to swimming!
Image and bio coming soon!
Coach John joined RSA in 2018. He attended Raleigh Charter High School. Coach John is a NC State University graduate with a major in Communication.
Coach John started swimming when he was seven years old with the TCC Seahawks in Raleigh, NC. He continued swimming through high school. While at NC State, Coach John participated in club swimming and club water polo. His favorite events are the 100 Backstroke and the 100 Butterfly.
Coach John began coaching at Lifetime Fitness in Cary. He coached summer league and developmental year-round swimming prior to joining RSA as the lead coach for the Mackerel and Mako practice groups. Currently the Site Lead for RSA's satellite site, Sunset, Coach John develops Sunset programming and leads the Sunfish, Bowfin and Senior Onyx practice groups. In addition, Coach John coordinates evaluations for potential Sunset athletes.
Away from the pool deck, Coach John spends his time weightlifting, hiking, paying too much for coffee and watching basketball. He enjoys anything sports-related and loves anything involving water.
Coach Kristy joined RSA in 2022. Prior to coaching at RSA, Coach Kristy spent five years at Snow Swimming in Virginia where she coached several developmental groups and ran dryland and sports conditioning workouts. Prior to coaching at Snow, Kristy was an Assistant Coach for the Reston YMCA where she led multiple age groups, including the Senior group and the Senior Prep group.
In addition, Coach Kristy was the Head Coach for the Potomac Falls High School swim team for four years. Several of her swimmers broke individual and school records with her leadership. Coach Kristy also coached the Armfield Farm summer swim team in Chantilly for seven years, leading them to multiple division wins. Under Coach Kristy's leadership, Armfield Farm won the White Division, the first time in twenty-eight years.
Coach Kristy has an undergraduate degree in Organizational Communication/ Public Relations and a Masters degree in Graphic Design. Passionate about fitness, Coach Kristy is a certified fitness instructor and a certified personal trainer, focused on functional training. In addition, Coach Kristy is a certified Mental Performance Coach. Throughout her career as a swim coach, she has been a certified trainer and integrated her knowledge of fitness and training into the development of athletes.
Coach Kristy’s primary responsibilities are leading the Barracuda and Senior Silver practice groups. She also assists with the Senior Gold and Nova practice groups. Coach Kristy is an ASCA Level 4 Coach.
In her free time, Coach Kristy enjoys spending reading, gardening, and weightlifting, as well as spending time with her husband and her three children.
Coach David joined RSA in 2020. He grew up in Durham and swam for Carolina Aquatic Club, formerly Duke Aquatics, from the time he was eleven years old until he graduated from high school. He also swam for his high school, Cardinal Gibbons.
Coach David attended Salisbury University in Maryland, graduating with a Communications degree. While at Salisbury University, he swam distance freestyle (1000 and the mile) and the 100 and 200 Butterfly. His favorite stroke is freestyle.
Coach David coaches athletes of all ages as the Lead Coach for the Dolphin, Mako and Blackfin Afternoon practice groups.
In his free time, he enjoys watching sports with friends, playing video games, and reading.
Coach Susan joined RSA in the fall of 2021 as a lesson instructor and in-water coach. Prior to joining RSA, Coach Susan taught lessons for the City of Raleigh for ten years and coached the Millbrook Marlins Squirt Squad swim team for seven years.
Coach Susan moved to Raleigh as a child and attended Broughton High School and East Carolina University. In addition to her time teaching for the City of Raleigh, Coach Susan spent over ten years in Europe ministering to children and their families walking in trauma as refugees. Swimming was the medium through which she was able to reach the children.
Coach Susan coaches the introductory swim team practice groups, leading the Tarpon and Seahorse groups. She also teaches lessons in Wahoo Swim Academy. Coach Susan is a trainer and entertainer at heart, helping children do what they do better and have fun doing it. If you hear show tunes coming from the instructional pool, it is likely Coach Susan singing the children's favorite songs.
In her free time, Coach Susan loves to travel, read, eat good food, and spend time with friends.
Jacob Cole, Sonner Lead Coach and Assistant Coach
Coach Jacob was born and raised in Cary. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, IA with a major in mathematics and minors in writing and secondary education. Following graduation, he earned a Masters of Education in STEM Education with a mathematics concentration from NC State University.
Coach Jacob has been swimming since before elementary school, starting on the Silverton Sharks as a little boy, then swimming for WAVE and the TAC Titans. He also swam for Luther College as a member of the men’s swimmng and diving team. Coach Jacob coached for Silverton for six years and was the Assistant Head Coach for Lifetime Fitness for a year and a half prior to joining RSA.
Currently, Coach Jacob leads the Blackfin Evening practice group and assists with the younger swim team practice groups as needed. He is also the Head Coach of the Raleigh Charter High School swim team, the NCHSAA DIvision 1 Champs.
After five years in the classroom, Coach Jacob transitioned out of education and works in finance. He spends what little free time he has listening to music, traveling, going to concerts, or taking advantage of being a Disney World Annual Passholder and visiting the parks.
Analiyah Aparicio, Sonner Lead Coach and Assistant Coach
Marissa Duffy, Sonner Lead Coach and Assistant Coach
Bio coming soon!
Coach Mimi began her swimming career with RSA in the Wahoo practice group. She swam with RSA until she left for college to swim at Campbell University. Her competitive swimming career was sidelined by a longstanding injury, but her love of the sport was still unmatched.
Coach Mimi channeled her love for swimming into coaching. She taught lessons at RSA and worked as an assistant coach with the introductory swim team groups during college breaks. In August of 2024, Coach Mimi joined RSA as a lead coach while finishing her last college semester. After earning her degree in Exercise Science, Coach Mimi joined RSA’s coaching staff at Sunset (then the Bluffs).
Passionate about creating practices that are fun and beneficial to the growth of each individual, Coach Mimi is completing her certifications in personal training and nutrition to bring added benefits to the athletes.
Currently, Coach Mimi leads the Bass, Bluegill and Redtail practice groups.
In her free time, Coach Mimi loves eating great food, playing Mario Kart and spending time with her husband and their cat, Salem.
Bio coming soon!
While at Texas State, Coach Jenni gained hands-on experience interning with the Bobcat football team as a Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach. Her graduate studies took her to the elite athletic environment of Duke University, where she interned with the Olympic Sports Performance Program. There, she helped train student-athletes from a variety of sports, including swimming, diving, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer—and even joined the diving team on their training trip to Puerto Rico as their dedicated strength coach.
After graduation, Coach Jenni dove into coaching and education. She led offseason strength programs for both junior high and high school athletes, coached junior high volleyball and track, and served as head coach for a high school powerlifting team.
Although she doesn’t come from a swimming background, Coach Jenni brings a deep understanding of athletic movement. Her focus is on developing well-rounded athletes whose skills translate powerfully into the pool.
Coach Emma was born and raised in Apex, NC. She attended Apex High School and graduated in 2014. After high school, she attended Marshall University in Huntington, W.V. and earned her B.A. in Elementary Education in 2018.
Coach Emma’s love of swimming began with summer league swimming for the Apex Breakers. She also swam competitively for RSA from 2004-2011 and for YOTA from 2011-2014. After high school, she was a college athlete at Marshall University in West Virginia. Coach Emma's primary events were the 200 Freestyle, the 500 Freestyle and the 200 Butterfly.
After college, Coach Emma began a career in education with kindergarteners, then eight graders. During summer breaks from teaching, she was the Head Coach for the Black Horse Run summer league team. In addition, she taught swim lessons in the Triangle area.
Coach Emma joined RSA in the fall of 2023. Coach Emma's primary responsibilities are teaching swim lessons in Wahoo Swim Academy and assisting with the Dolphin, Seahorse, and Tarpon practice groups.
Off the pool deck, Coach Emma enjoys spending time with her husband, as well as her dogs and cat. She is a dedicated member of her church and is active in the children's ministry. Coach Emma loves to exercise, travel, drink coffee, and make all of her food from scratch… including sourdough bread, pasta, and pizza!
