|
|
Welcome to the coaches
page. We are very proud of our coaches staff and look forward to
using our talents to make your competitive swimming experience a
great one.
If your questions are
related to workouts, meets, events, goal setting, and other
swimming related needs, please contact your coach. For all
questions related to administrative, such as dues, safety, or
policy issues, please contact Nicole Winstead.
|
 Tay Stratton Co-Head Coach LRRCEmail
Coach Tay Stratton has led the Laser Swim Team as
Founder and Head Coach since 1992. Under her direction, the team
grew into one of the largest teams in the State. She has trained
swimmers to compete at the State, Regional, Junior, Senior
Nationals, and Olympic Trial levels. Under her coaching, the team
has had 40 Top 16 swims posted, had two swimmers rank 2nd in the
nation in their age group, set over 56 State and LSC Records, and
had many State High Point Champions. One of her alumni set a World
Record while on a NCAA Div. I relay. Coach Stratton was the
Arkansas Zone Coach for the 1996, 1997, and 2003 teams. She is an
ASCA level five coach. She has been named Arkansas Age Group Coach
of the Year and was inducted in the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame.
She has served as ASI Age Group Chair two terms and currently
serves as ASI Technical Chairman.
As a
competitive swimmer from the age of five, Tay swam for Millers Swim
Gym, and the Little Rock Dolphins. She attended the University of Arkansas at Little
Rock on a full swimming scholarship and was swim team captain two
years. Her competitive background, coupled with 24 years of
teaching 1000’s of students, has allowed Tay to further her
dedication and knowledge of stroke mechanics, motivation, racing
strategy and training methods. Her mission statement remains the
same: To provide a positive and motivating experience that builds
self esteem, develops the athlete to their fullest potential, and
gives swimmers the skills and lessons of competitive swimming that
they may take with them through all walks of life. She is excited about the
future of the Dolphin- Laser Swim Team and looks forward to
continue providing direction and vision for its future. Tay
oversees all aspects of the team in partnership with Coach John
Hargis, coaches the Age Group Team as well as oversees all
developmental practices at the Little Rock Racquet
Club.
April 28, 2007 Induction
into Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame
Bio
 Keith McAfeeCo-Head Coach Jacksonville-SherwoodEmail
Coach
Keith is the Head Coach of our Jacksonville and Sherwood sites and
Team Administrator. He joined the Dolphin coaching staff in 1986.
He took over the Jacksonville program in 1994 and developed the
Sherwood site in 2004. As a coach for the Dolphins, he has been
instrumental in the development of many of the tops swimmers in
Arkansas.
Coach Keith is a Little Rock native and began his swimming career
at age 6 as a member of the Millers Swim Gym. He joined the Little
Rock Racquet Club Dolphins swim team in 1972. As an age group
swimmer, he held several state records and was selected as team
captain for the Dolphins his senior year. While at swimming Hendrix
College, he not only served as Team Captain but, received the
prestigious Carl Babcock Award for Outstanding Leadership in
Athletics.
White attending Hendrix College, he coached the Hendrix Aquakids
from 1983-1986. He has taught hundreds of children how to swim as
an instructor at the Little Rock Racquet Club.. He was active in
the development of the West Little Rock Optimist Summer Swim League
and coached five of the competing teams over a four- year period.
In 2003, in addition to his Dolphin coaching duties, he took over
the coaching of the struggling Sherwood Sharks Swim Team, which is
part of the Central Arkansas Swim League. Through his direction, he
took this summer program to the top of the league with four
straight undefeated seasons and is one of the largest in the
state.
He has been involved in many aspects of Arkansas Swimming, Inc. He
has volunteered his time by serving as Equipment Chair and Awards
Chair. He has been the Meet Director for many ASI Age Group Champs
meets. He has been instrumental in the Arkansas Swimming Hall of
Fame, serving on the committee since 1987. He is currently the
Chairman of the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame. He was awarded the
highly coveted Conoco Phillips 66 Volunteer of the Year in
2000.
Recognizing his numerous contributions’
to Arkansas Swimming, Keith McAfee was inducted into the Arkansas
Swimming Hall of Fame in 2009.
 Matthew H AdamsHead Senior CoachEmail
Matt has an extensive background in competitive
swimming as a swimmer and coach. He most recently has served
as the Senior Coach of the AquaHawgs swim team in
Fayetteville. Matt coached swimmers age 14 and
older. During his time with the AquaHawgs his swimmers
achieved success from the State level to the Senior National
level.
Matt has a background in Arkansas
Swimming, as an age group swimmer he grew up swimming for the
Razorback Aquatic Club in Springdale, AR and swam summers during
college for the Arkansas Dolphins Swim Team. As a collegiate
swimmer he swam for the University of Missouri at Rolla where he
was a four-year letterman and a 2 year team captain. As
a national qualifier, he received numerous All-American
awards, and logged several school records. He graduated with
degrees in Business Administration and Economics. Upon
graduation he worked as a Business Systems Analyst for DaySpring
Cards in Siloam Springs Arkansas.
*Coach Matt is the contact for college
coaches.
 Basil V HicksSenior Team I CoachEmail
Basil Hicks began
swimming with the summer league swim team at the North Side YMCA in
North Little Rock. At the age of nine, Basil joined the
Dolphins lead by Coach Paul Blair. At 10 years old, Basil
achieved his first Top 16 time in the 200 yd. Freestyle. At
the age of 14, Basil Hicks achieved his highest top 16
rankings. He was ranked first in the 500 free and second in
the 100 and 200 free. Basil was a Jr. National qualifier in
the: 100, 200, 500 and 1650 free and the 100 and 200 breaststroke
200 Fly and the 200 IM. He was undefeated in the 200 and 500
Free at the High School Championships. As a junior, Basil
qualified for Senior Nationals in the 1650 freestyle. Basil
attended Yale University where he swam each of his four years and
graduated with a BA in Philosophy in 1996. Basil ended his
college swimming career with a 6th place Finish at the
Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League Championship in the 1650
Freestyle. Basil returned to Arkansas and coached at the
Razorback Aquatic Club as an assistant age group coach in
1997. In 2000 he became the Head Age Group Coach for
RAC. RAC finished first in the ASI Long Course Championship
from 2000 to 2003 with a short course championship in
2002. From 2000 to 2003, Basil also coached the Fayetteville
High School Swim Team. In 2001 the Fayetteville Men’s
team won the State Championship, and in 2002 the Women’s team
did the same. In 2003 Basil returned to the Dolphins as
the Head Age Group Coach under Coach Blair. The Dolphins
finished first at the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Short Course ASI
Championships and first at the 2004 Long Course
Championship. Basil Hicks still holds 8 LSC and 5
State records and his 100, 200 and 500 freestyle times as a 14 year
old are still in the top 100 of all time According to USA
Swimming.
 Eimear M RyanHead Coach Little Rock Athletic clubEmail
Coach Eimear Ryan is the Head Coach at the Little
Rock Athletic Club. She is also the Aquatics Director at
the Little Rock Athletic Club. Eimear has been swimming all
her life. She is one of the founding swimmers for the Laser Swim
Team. Eimear was team captain from 1999-2001, a Region VIII swimmer
and a member of the Arkansas State Champion team of
2001.
Eimear attended Little Rock Cental High school. As team
captian, Eimear lead the Tigers to two Arkansas
state championship titles (2000 and 2001) and
was named to the Arkansas high school All-State Team
from 1998-2001. After graduating from Central, she
attended the University of Arkansas Fayetteville where she swam for
the Lady Razorbacks from 2001-2003.
In 2003 she went on to swim
for the University of Arkansas Little Rock Trojans on a swimming
scholarship. At UALR, Eimear was swim team captain, 5 time school
record breaker, an Athletic Scholar and was on the Sun Belt
Conference Honor Roll for academic excellence.
Eimear graduated from the University of Arkansas Little
Rock in May of 2006 with a Bachelors of Science with an emphasis on
health and exercise science.
From 2006-2008 Eimear was a director, instructor and
marketing manager with the British Swim School, in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida. Eimear joined the Dolphin-Laser family in
August of 2008.
 Tasha StrattonMasters CoachEmail
Tasha Stratton joined the
Laser team in September of 1998 as LRAC Head Age Group Coach.
Tasha swam competitively through her high school years. She
has a competitive background in swimming where she swam for the
Little Rock Racquet Club. She began teaching swimming at age
16 at the Pine Bluff Country Club. She taught swimming
as well as water aerobics and lifeguarding while attending
Lyons College and Emergency Medical Technical School. She
also has had experience working in childcare through independent
organizations including the Montessori school system. Tasha
is the Head coach of the Laser Masters program where she oversees
training of Lasers Masters Swimmers.
Tasha was the aquatic director at the LRAC for eight
years where she oversaw swim instructors and lifeguards. She
also teaches private and group lessons. When not
coaching you may see Tasha with her fourteen-year-old daughter Skye
or her six-year-old son Ronan or her one and a half year
old son Finn. Tasha has always loved working with
children and wants to help them achieve high self esteem and
success through the sport of swimming.
 Brian BowenCabot CoachEmail
Growing up in an Air Force
family, Brian traveled to many places,
including
Hawaii
,
Japan
, and
the
Philippines
, but eventually settled
in
North Little
Rock
, where he began his
swimming career with the Lakewood Waves. In high school, Brian made
the state swim meet his sophomore, junior and senior years. While
attending college at UALR, he continued to swim on his
own.
Originally from a small town outside
Austin
,
Texas
, Brian had always looked up to his rodeoing
uncle. Always a competitor, Brian pursued a career as a
professional bull rider. For twelve years he hit the road as a
professional bull rider in the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Assoc.,
Professional Bull riders Assoc, and the Arkansas Cowboys Assoc.
Brian won the1995, 1996, and the 1999 Arkansas State Finals and
many other titles over his career.
Brian coached for the Waves as a senior and into
college. He also taught swim lessons on a regular basis, coached
soccer for many years, and now over the past ten years has become
an avid rock climber. He has now coached for the Dolphin- Lasers
for two years and is heading up the Dolphin-Laser program in Cabot.
Brian also coaches the Sharks summer league team along with Coach
Keith and volunteers as the head coach for the Sylvan Hills Swim
team. He is married to Christina Bowen and has two son, Tristen,
age 9, and Maddux, age 4. Both Tristen and Maddux have followed in
daddy’s foot steps and have found a love for
swimming.
 Shane R EliasonLRRC CoachEmail
Shane Eliason began his swimming career
when he was 6 for the Door County Dorphins and later Sturgeon Bay
High School. During this time he set numerous club records as well
as won 10 high school state championships and set 2 high school
state records. He then attended the University of Kentucky where he
was a 5 time All-American and currently holds team records in the
100 backstroke and the 200 medley relay. Throughout his years at
UK, he taught numerous private lessons to swimmers of all abilities
as well as coached at the University of Kentucky Swim Camp. Shane
graduated with honors in mathematical economics last fall and
currently works for Windstream Communications. Shane will be
assisting the Age Group Program at the LRRC.
 Debbie A SkidmoreCabot CoachEmail
Debbie began swimming at the age of nine for the Little
Rock Boys Club. She received a scholarship to UALR where she was a
part of the state championship team for four years, as well as a
record holder in the 50 freestyle and freestyle relay. In addition
to being a swimming state champion, Debbie was also a diving state
champion for four years.
Debbie has been coaching swimming for twenty-five years.
She has been with the Cabot Piranhas for ten years. She has also
coached gymnastics and has been teaching in
Pulaski
County
for
twenty years. She has a masters degree in Special Education and a
BSE in Health and Physical Education. She is also a lifeguard and
water safety instructor for the American Red Cross. The
Dolphin-Lasers are glad to have Debbie working at the Cabot
location.
 Kathy McAlisterCoachEmail
At the age of 13
Kathy began swimming for her newly formed hometown swim team.
When it disbanded 3 years later, she was offered a chance to train
with the
John
Brown
University
men’s team. She continued to train
during the school year at John Brown until high school
graduation. While attending UALR she began swimming for the
Trojans and was in the first class of women to receive
scholarships. The scholarships were enough to cover the cost of
textbooks. During her junior year she became one of the first
women to receive a letter for swimming at UALR. She
transferred to
Fayetteville
and graduated with a BA in broadcast
journalism.
While living
in
St.
Louis
, her oldest son began
swimming for the Rockwood Swim Team. Kathy became a stroke
and turn judge at Rockwood and continued as a judge after moving
to
Little Rock
. She continued to volunteer in that role
while her son swam for the Dolphins. She began assisting with
coaching at the Athletic Club in 2005 and is now coaching the
Developmental groups at the Athletic Club
facility.
Nicole D WinsteadTeam CoordinatorEmail
Nicole Dior Winstead is
my name. I am
California
grown and
Arkansas
delivered.
I moved to
Arkansas
the summer of 2004 with
my sons Chase and Ransom and my father Arthur Winstead III, M.D.. I
came to
Arkansas
in 2004 to assist my
father in caring for his ailing father, my grandfather. Shortly
after our arrival and some very heartfelt time spent with my
grandfather, he passed away. In knowing such wonderful memories of
visiting my grandparents in
Arkansas
through the summers of my
youth, I felt it was a wonderful place for a single mother of two
budding young men to dig her roots. So here I am wonderfully
placed.
I joined the Little Rock Racquet Club in December 2009. I began in
the daycare as a daycare worker and in January became the daycare
supervisor. Shortly after my daycare promotion I was asked to
become the Swim Team Coordinator.
As you can see I am
definitely not one to sit still at least not for
long.
I have owned my own art
gallery in
California
and have been an
entrepreneur, I believe as long as I have been able to understand
the business of independence. I am in the midst of starting a
non-profit MBA, MPA minority youth incubator for high achieving
minority high school students. I also own Blue Dog Graphic Design
and have done work for Beth Coulson at
Arkansas
Baptist
College
and Judge Wendell
Griffen’s campaign in 2009 along with other local
projects.
I am a mother of two young men as mentioned above Chase &
Ransom. Knowing that all who will read my biography are parents in
some capacity, you understand that being a parent is the most
challenging, rewarding, earth shattering, joyous, fretful business
that you will ever own. Being a parent comes with no
instruction manual nor business plan ever written. So I was honored
to be asked to be a part of an organization that will assist you as
parents in nurturing the talents of our worlds future and your
greatest gifts. I am looking forward to getting to know each and
every one of you... parents and children alike.
I am a creative soul and
nurturer to boot. So I will carry my entrepreneurial skills and
creative side along with nurturer into the position of Swim Team
Coordinator and make every effort in satisfying the swimming needs
of both parent and child.
Thanx for stopping
through and getting to know me. I look forward to getting to know
you. Until then, get to know someone new and help them to be the
best person they can be.
Nicole
Josh ChristensenArkadelphia CoachEmail
|
