Cochrane Piranhas Summer Swim Club

Max Kruger (Black and Silver Groups)

Coach Max has over a decade of involvement in competitive swimming, including as a former Piranhas swimmer and coach and Cochrane Masters Coach.

Max holds the Fundamentals Coaching (Level 1) certification and is actively pursuing the Age Group Coaching (Level 2) certification. Having served as a coach with the Piranhas for the past four summer seasons, Max has been working with swimmers of various ages and skill levels. During his time as a Piranhas assistant coach, Max was part of a strong coaching team that designed and implemented effective practice plans which helped the club win the Provincial Medium Team Banner in 2 of those 3 years. 

Max's coaching philosophy focuses on fostering a positive, inclusive environment where swimmers can grow both in skill and confidence. His coaching experience is further enriched by his current studies in Education, where he is developing teaching strategies directly applicable to coaching, particularly in communication, classroom management, and mentorship. 

Jill Lavis (Orange Group)

Coach Jill joins the Piranhas Coaching team for her first summer season. Jill is a certified NCCP Fundamentals and Age Group Swimming Coach. She is currently in her 6th season as Swim Coach for the Cochrane Sparks Triathlon Club. Prior to coaching Sparks, Jill coached the pre-competitive group for the Nose Creek Swim Association.

Jill started swimming competitively at the age of 4 and she competed with both summer and year round swim clubs, as well as with Masters. Swimming is her passion in life and her love of coaching grows with every season. Jill is a firm believer that teaching her swimmers the correct technique is vital and watching her swimmers improve and/or learn a new skill is most exhilarating. 

Jill's coaching philosophy is centered around her ability to connect with each of her swimmers on a personal level. She takes the time to understand their individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and she tailors her coaching to meet their specific needs. This personalized approach not only helps her swimmers improve but also fosters a sense of trust and respect between coach and swimmer.

Dax Blackwood (Red Group)

We welcome Dax Blackwood as the Red Group coach. He has been passionate about swimming and human sciences for the majority of his childhood. He had the opportunity to coach Little Starts with the Comets and he currently works as a lifeguard at SLS. Dax loves helping swimmers build confidence and skill in the water. Dax’s loves to create a supportive, fun environment where swimmers can grow at their own pace.

When he is not on the pool deck, you’ll probably find him reading, playing piano, or spending time in the garden exploring his love for botany. Dax is excited to be part of the Coaching team and he looks forward to seeing the Piranhas swimmers thrive!

If you are interested in joining the Piranhas Swim Club board please reach out to the President. Positions are elected at the AGM which usually occurs in September. All Directors are required to attend Board meetings (roughly 8 a year) and the AGM (generally in September).

President:

• Oversees the smooth running of the club, including coaching, pool scheduling, home swim meets, and fundraising. 
• Sits as an ex-officio a member of all Committees. 
• Attends and leads board meetings.
• Signing authority for the club.
• Represents the club to outside stakeholders. 

Treasurer:

• Maintain three bank accounts: the regular account, the fundraising account, and the casino account.
• Ensure that accounting procedures are followed.
• Manage all financial transactions.
• Prepare financial reports for board meetings and AGM.
• Prepare and steward the budget.
• Prepare reports, such as the fitness tax credit receipts and the annual return.

Secretary:

• Take meeting minutes and Board Meetings and General Meetings.
• Ensure minutes/paperwork are organized.

Registrar:

• Manages the club's member registry.
• Updates registration forms.
• Point of contact for new swimmers and returning swimmers
• Registers swimmers and coaches in ASSA database.

Coaching Director:

• Annually reviews and updates coach’s contracts.
• Solicits, meets, and hires coaches for the season.
• Liaisons between parents and coaches as needed.
• Works with coaches to plan lane space and books lane space with the pool.

Officials Coordinator:

• Ensuring all club officials are registered on the Officials database.
• Ensuring only active officials are listed in the official’s database.
• Organizing officials’ clinics for team parent/volunteers.
• Ensure Officials certification form is completed and forwards to the Region Officials Chairperson.

Volunteer Coordinator:

• Coordinates officials signup for swim meets.
• Remind all officials that they will be required to help out at out of town meets
• Ensures Volunteers are available for any Club events and maintains a record of volunteer points for each family.

Fundraising Coordinator:

• Ensures each swimmer fundraising commitment is tracked.
• Organizes and coordinates fundraising events.
• Attends board meetings.

Media Relations:

• Point of contact with media
• Managers the club's social media

Equipment Coordinator

• Arranges competition suits
• Works to find other clothing
• Sources and acquires 

Events and Hospitality Coordinator

• Plans club events, including venue and food
• Works with the Volunteer Coordinator to fill volunteer positions for events and committees
• Leads the Hospitality Committee for the club's annual swim meet

Meet Manger

• Fulfills the role of Meet Manager at home meets (and therefore must be signed off, or able to be signed off, as a Meet Manager in the ASSA officials database)
• Works with the Events and Hospitality Coordinator to arrange meet hospitality
• Works with the Volunteer Coordinator and Officials Coordinator to fill volunteer positions for home meets
• Acts as the primary point of contact for the pool for home meets