Nitro Swim Team Coaches

Mike Koleber, Head Coach

Head Coach Mike Koleber swam competitively in Michigan from age group through his college years at Oakland University where he was team Captain, 11 time NCAA All-American, and Senior National qualifier. Mike started teaching swim lessons at the age of 13, helping out his Dad on Saturday mornings, which allowed Mike the opportunity to learn from the best, his Dad.

Mike coached alongside Nitro’s Tim O’Brien at Swim Atlanta back in the late 90’s producing several Georgia state champions before coming out Texas way.

Mike has a true love of coaching and teaching, and does a tremendous job making new kids feel welcomed on the Nitro pool deck. His drive to lead Nitro to ultimately become the #1 program in the country is infectious, and the staff works together as one unit with one goal: Make each swimmer a little better EVERY day.

One of Mike’s favorite lines is his response to this question from a parent who would see Mike every day after dropping off his daughter for practice…
Parent: “What’s it like having the best job in the world?”
Mike: “It’s not a job.”

That is how Mike feels about being given the opportunity to positively impact as many kids as possible each and every day, and he does what he can to help make them better PEOPLE in the process.

Mike is married to Tracy Koleber, who handles the background work behind the scenes. This would include payroll, all bill paying, taxes, capital improvements, insurance regulations, and about a million other tasks in addition to being Mom of their two kids Kalan and Kembree. They are members of Gateway Community Church and contribute in a variety of ways to local charities.

Tim O’Brien

Where did you grow up?
Long Island, NY

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Mercersburg Academy, Pa. and University of Georgia

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
USA Senior Nationals and fondest memories are representing the Georgia
Bulldogs at SEC’s

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
The daily interaction with our athletes and helping them do things they
did not realize they were capable of…in the pool and life.

What is your favorite quote?
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who
will never be able repay you”     John Wooden

Share one coaching tip.
From Bill Sweetenham: 100% correct is 100% correct. 99% correct is 100%
wrong. That 1% margin is the difference between gold and silver or a cut and no cut!

Kristyn Evans

Where did you grow up?
Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Cape Elizabeth High School as well as Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Being a two time high school state champion, and completing my swimming career with Excel Aquatics as a swimmer/coach.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
The best part of being a swim coach is seeing swimmers gain skills and confidence both in and out of the water.

What is your favorite quote?
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mohandas Ghandi

Share one coaching tip.
The best advice any swimmer can get from a coach is to learn how to kick and kick well!

 

Jeffrey Fellows
Where did you grow up?
Austin, TX

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Westlake High School
Denison University

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Second place at Division III Nationals

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Teaching and learning from the kids.

What is your favorite quote.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science.

Share one coaching tip.
Freestyle – Pretend a fish is swimming about a foot and a half directly beneath your chest. Think of its size and shape.  What color is it? Does it have any stripes?  Now, make certain not to hit that fish as you swim.  Thinking this way helps to keep my arms from going under my body.

 

Florian Rudolph

Where did you grow up?
Pflugerville, TX

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Pflugerville High School, University of Texas of the Permian Basin

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
NAIA All-American, School Record Holder, fondest memory was winning a team conference championship and winning the 800 Freestyle relay where we were ranked dead last and even our coach didn’t think we could win.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Watching swimmers get out after a race and be completely happy with how they swam and knowing they had fun and swam to the best of their abilities.

What is your favorite quote?
Practice makes Permanent not Perfect

Share one coaching tip.
Make practice fun.

 

Steve Wolleben

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, Tx.

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
I attended Anderson High School in Austin, and have a B.S. in Communications (Radio-Television-Film) from the University of Texas at Austin.

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
I suppose my greatest achievement in swimming, was triathlon related.  My last triathlon was in 2005 in Adelaide, Australia in 55 degree ocean water.  I was the only one without a wetsuit, and was out of the water first.  Great way to end a swimming career.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
My favorite thing that I enjoy about being a coach, is when a swimmer has a moment of illumination, that leads to great success.  What is your favorite quote?
“To be brave is to love someone unconditionally, without expecting anything in return.  To just give.  That takes courage, because we don’t want to fall on our faces, or leave ourselves to hurt.  No matter what you are, who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you come from, you can always change, and become a better version of yourself.”

Share one coaching tip.
As a coach, listening to your swimmers is imperative, as well as making sure they listen to you.

 

Veronica Syroney

Where did you grow up?
Born and raised in Mexico City and have lived in the USA for 19 years

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Attended High School in San Antonio, TX (James Madison High School) and graduated from University La Salle with a Bachelors in Accounting followed by a Masters in Corporate Finance from the I.T.A.M. in Mexico City

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Highest level of achievement as a swimmer was having represented Mexico at the Central and Pan-American games as well as having attended the Olympic qualifier trials for the 1984 LA games.  My fondest memory as a swimmer was my first swimming summer camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during my early teens where I met many different swimmers from different countries. What I learned from that
camp was priceless and it has lasted for all my life (independance, responsibility, team work, can-do attitude, diversity, open to change, among others)

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Seeing the athletes evolve and knowing you planted a seed in them that will help them achieve success

What is your favorite quote?
1.”Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships” Michael Jordan
2. “Why be afraid of the next shot, if you have not yet taken it?” Michael Jordan
3.”A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi

Share one coaching tip.
Have fun while working, everyone will feed from your state of happiness.  Focus on developing the person as a whole, not only the swimmer.

 

Adrian Damasco

Where did you grow up?
I was born in San Jose, CA in the Silicon Valley and lived there until I was six. After that my family and I moved to Laguna Hills in Orange County.  There I trained with the Mission Viejo Natadores until I was 13. Then I moved to Austin, TX where I trained with the Texas Longhorn Aquatics.

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
I graduated from James Bowie High School in 2008. After graduation I swam for Golden West College in Orange County for a year and a half before suffering a rotator cuff injury. A semester later I transferred to the University of Texas studying physiology.

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
My highest level of achievement as a swimmer was when I decided to continue swimming after high school. I never considered it until my senior year. The fondest memory I have is walking on deck everyday to practice with the TXLA awaiting my coach and former world record holder/Olympian, Neil Walker.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Seeing the kids smile, compete and pushing their limits farther than both of you could of ever imagined. When you see a group of kids come in excited for swim practice you can’t help but feed off it, then it gets really exciting.

What is your favorite quote?
Doing what you like is freedom, liking what you do is happiness.

Share one coaching tip.
Fake high fives are golden for age group swimmers, gets them every time.

 

Megan Rose

Where did you grow up?
Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Kealakehe High School.  University of Nevada Reno.

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
The sophomore year in high school my coach told me to reach for a 1:07 in the 100 back stroke. I went a 59.2 at the state championships. AND I beat my older sister who had always been a faster swimmer than me.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Seeing the excitement in the kids’ faces when they learn something new or accomplish a goal and the knowledge that I helped.

What is your favorite quote?
“There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.” - Tom Krause
“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” -Vince Lombardi

Share one coaching tip.
Swimming, like life, is all about balance. A balanced body position in the water means an injury free and efficient stroke.

Carlye Ellis

Where did you grow up?
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, University of Texas

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
NCAA All-American, school record holder for UT

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Every moment is an opportunity to grow with the people you enjoy being around

What is your favorite quote?
“It may seem as though you’ll never make it, but in reality you’re already there.  Discouragement tempers and hardens you; it does not stop you.”

Share one coaching tip.
Have a blast and make friends.  Nothing in life is worth it if you don’t enjoy it with people you want to share it with.

 

Anna Petersen

Where did you grow up?
Prairie City, IA

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
PCM High School and Coe College

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Competing at the college level.  My first swim meet, trying my hand at the 100 freestyle and winning!

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Seeing the happiness and difference I make on a daily basis.

What is your favorite quote?
“The greatest glory in living, lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Nelson Mandela    ”All that we are is a result of what we have thought.” Buddha

Share one coaching tip.
Believe in yourself and have patience in others.

 

Scott Yarbrough

Where did you grow up?
Tecumseh, MI

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Tecumseh High School, Oakland University

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Winning the 200 breast at conference all four years in college and being named mid-major All-American honorable mention senior year.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
Being able to help kids improve every single day, in and out of the pool.

Share one coaching tip.
Starts and turns are the fastest easiest part of swimming; make yours great to easily improve your times.

 

Brian Cisna

Where did you grow up?
Springfield, Illinois

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
Williamsville HS    University of Texas at Austin

What was your highest level of achievement as a swimmer/fondest memory?
Highest achievement – USA national team    Fondest memory – Standing on the awards stand for the first time after winning NCAA championship with my teammates at Texas

What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
I love seeing kids smile because they love swimming.

What is your favorite quote?
“You can if you think you can”

 

Scott Gainey

Where did you grow up?
North Carolina

Where did you attend school (high school and college)?
West Montgomery High School
UNC-Charlotte

Share one coaching tip.
The more time you spend with the top of your head toward the gutter, the faster you will travel across the pool.