Louisville Dolphins Coaches

 

A Little About the Coaches...

 

 

Bob Smartt:  Head Coach & 13-18 Age Group

 

At the University of Chicago, Bob was the swim team captain and a record holder in six events. In 2008 he was inducted into the University of Chicago Athletics Hall of Fame. He earned his MBA degree from Stanford University and worked for sixteen years in municipal investment banking for Goldman, Sachs & Co. In 1987 Bob swam the English Channel in 10 hours and 11 minutes. He placed 13th in his age group at the 1996 World Triathlon Championships. In eleven years of coaching the Fairview Girls, his teams have had the following record at the State Championships: first-once; second-six times; third-twice; and fourth-twice. Bob has been chosen three times as the Colorado High School Swim Coach of the Year.  His athletes have earned 49 NISCA All American designations (35 individual and 14 relay). 

 

Carl Diehl:  11-12 Age Group Coach 

 

   Carl has been involved with competitive swimming since the Stone Age. He started summer competition in 1953 when butterfly was a "faster type of breast stroke". He swam AAU for the Westfield YMCA in New Jersey, high school for the Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania and college at Monmouth College in Illinois.

   He began coaching with his summer team in 1958 being the only "winter swimmer" on the team. There was no year -round swimming in those days.  Since coming to Colorado, he has coached with the Boulder Swim Team, North Jeffco Swim Team, Brighton Bullfrogs Swim Team, and the Broomfield Barracudas Swim Team.  He has also coached the Brighton HS girls swim team and assisted the boys as technique coach.

   Carl's philosophy is that "Swimming is like baseball, you can't play the game well unless you've got great technique." He looks to Bill Boomer, Milt Nelms, and former Stanford head coach Richard Quick for guidance.

   Carl is married to Barbara Diehl. They have 4 cats: Spanky, Zorro, Paisley and Fergy.

 

Katie Klaus:  9-10 Age Group Coach

 

  Katie’s passion for swimming began when she first enrolled on the swim team at age 5.  She spent all of her summers swimming in summer league, and it quickly became the highlight of each summer break.  Katie continued swimming throughout college, and still gets in the water as often as she can.  Outside of swimming, she teaches at Sacred Heart of Jesus school in Boulder.  She will be returning for her 2nd year there in August.  Katie is currently trying to figure out which direction she would like to go in pursuing her MA degree.  Katie is pumped to see how her 9/10 Dolphins perform again this summer. Go Dolphins! :)

 

Mary Ellen Ward:  8 & Under Competitive Team Coach

 

   Mary Ellen was introduced to the BVSSL while she was in college.  She loved how the League promoted Aquatics, since she was always so involved in swimming and diving as she grew up.

 

Mary Ellen has been teaching Swimming and Diving for 35 years.  She's been involved in the Dolphins since her children were young - sometimes as a parent and sometimes as a coach.  She loves our dolphins community and feels blessed to be a part of it.

  

 Allie Pierce:  8 & Under Developmental Team Coach

  

Allie has been part of the Louisville Dolphins coaching staff for 5 years.  This will be her 3rd year as head age group coach for the Blue team where she strives to develop the skills for our youngest swimmers and prepares them to move forward up to the competitive team. She was with the City of Louisville as a swim instructor for 8 years, a place she says she honed her skills to become a better coach. Allie swam for the Dolphins starting at the age of 5 and left when she turned 13, but she couldn't stay away from her favorite summer memories and joined the coaching staff in the summer of 2007. When Allie is not on the pool deck in the summer she works for a dermatology office in Boulder, so she may be handing out samples of sunscreen. She also loves food, family and friends and believes that Louisville is God's country, which is why she never wants to leave this beautiful place.

     

  Kali Greff:  11-12 & 13-18 Assistant Coach

   

  Kali Greff swam for Monarch High School for 4 years and on the Dolphins for 12 seasons before becoming an assistant coach in 2008. She loves swimming and the Dolphins and always will. Kali loves helping out with the 11-12s and 13-18s and is very excited about the upcoming season. She wants to keep the Dolphins true to their roots and continue to emphasize the importance of the team, hard work and having fun above all!

  Kali recently graduated from the school in the middle of nowhere (Kenyon College) with a BA, majoring in psychology with a minor in Italian. She also loves a good piece of toast, and gladly accepts any free popsicles from heat winners during home swim meets (HINT).

         

Andrea Bailey:  10 & Under Assistant Coach

 

  Andrea swam with the Dolphins for 11 years before achieving her dream job and becoming an assistant coach in the summer of 2009.  She is excited to continue working with all age groups while focusing primarily on the 8 and unders.  Swimming has been the source of some of her fondest childhood memories, and she is thankful for the opportunity to pass on her love of the sport.

In the off-season Andrea is a full time student.  She graduated this spring from Notre Dame with a degree in chemistry, and is excited to head to a sunnier locale at the University of California Santa Barbara in the fall to get a Masters in Environmental Science.  Interests outside of swimming and school include skiing, frozen yogurt and ridiculous you tube cat videos.