Hello!! I’m Coach Rita and I’m one of the head coaches for The Springdale Sailfish. I’ve been swimming since I was around 10 years old. I did swim lessons at Springdale since I was around 3 years old and actually DID NOT like the water. After many years of being that kid who hated going underwater, I finally did it and was eager to join the Sailfish swim team after that! So if you’re that person, it’s okay! But I promise the water is so much more fun :)

I started off my coaching experience as a volunteer coach for the 6 and unders back in 2022, and the summer after that, I was offered an official coaching position and have been with the sailfish ever since. I love working with all levels, but I love working with the 6 and under because I’m able to see where they start off as and then watch them grow into confident swimmers!! One of favorite parts about coaching is being able to work with an amazing coaching staff and parent board. They truly help to make the summer truly amazing.

Fun facts: I’m currently a Sophomore at Ohio University (OU oh yeah), where I study Social work and plan on getting minors in Psychology and Sociology. I love playing Minecraft, and I’m a huge fan of quality time with my loved ones! 

Learn more about Julia here

Hi, I’m Coach Reece! With two decades of experience in education and community programming, I bring a wealth of expertise and a passion for student-athlete development to the Springdale Sailfish. I work full-time at Princeton. While I love the classroom, the water has always been my second home. I bring over a decade in aquatics teaching and coaching. 

I stay pretty busy on the pool deck as the Head Coach for Girls Varsity/JV Water Polo at Princeton, a coach for the Cincinnati Moose Water Polo Club, and the coach for the Princeton Middle School swim team. My coaching style is all about "athletic pedagogy" (a fancy way of saying I care as much about building character as I do about building speed) and using the Circular Model to keep our athletes constantly improving. I also hold a Core Certification from USA Swimming University, so you can trust that we’re keeping things both technical and safe.

When I’m not coaching or teaching, I’m usually busy "tinkering." I’m a big fan of photography, graphic design, and woodworking—basically, if I can build it, design it, or 3D-print it, I’m in. My creative side usually comes out in designing sports apparel and logos (often with a Viking flair). I live here in Springdale with my wife, Courtney, and our two kids, Hudson and Harper. I’m looking forward to a great season with the Sailfish!