I have been involved in competitive swimming since I was 5 years old and involved with competitive water polo since I was 13. I went to Terra Nova High School where I specialized in the 500 yard freestyle, the 50 yard breaststroke and the100 yard breaststroke. While at Terra Nova I was also on the water polo team where I played the 2 meter man position on both offence and defense. Due to my passion for aquatics I began to swim and play water polo year round for BAC and later for Golden State where our ladies team qualified and competed in the Jr. Olympics every year. After high school I went on to play water polo at Sonoma State University and then returned home to play two years of competitive water polo and two years of competitive swimming for the College of San Mateo were I am now the assistant Swim Coach. Now as a young adult I find myself in Open Water races to help fill my need to compete!
I currently work at the East Palo Alto Family YMCA as the Aquatics, Day Camp and Youth Program Coordinator and I love my job. I get the opportunity to work with the children and youth in our community in and out of the water on a daily basis and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Aquatic programs such as swimming and water polo have helped me become the person I am today. I can only hope that being a part of the Redwood City Sharks Swim Team has a positive impact on your young swimmer’s life. The swimmers on our team not only learn the elements of being on a swim team but they make friendships that will last a lifetime! The Sharks is more then just a swim team we are a family of swimmers and we are always looking for new brothers and sisters!
Welcome to summer 2012!!!
Hello Sharks! My name is Rachel and I’ve been a part of the Shark family since I was seven. I’m now twenty-two and have been coaching the team since I was thirteen. I swam and played water polo each year at Sequoia High School and have been a swim instructor and lifeguard for Redwood City Parks and Recreation for the past three years.
I am graduating from UC Davis this June with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Education. I will soon be applying to masters and credential programs to become an elementary school teacher.
Why do I love this team? We’re a family. We may not always be the fastest swimmers, but we have the most fun! Our swimmers are wonderful, compassionate young people, and it shows! They know what it means to be members of a team. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them cheer on teammates, helping each other out of the pool, offering encouraging words before and after races, and looking to opponents with a smile and a “hey, nice swim”.
They have made me laugh, they’ve made me cry (in a good way!!), and they have taught me how to be a better coach and person. Above all, they have made me incredibly proud. I love this team, I love our families, I love our quaint six-lane pool. And when I walk onto the deck during those warm summer evenings, I finally feel like I am home.
Hi! I'm Kiefer Hickman, and I'm a sophomore in college. I love hanging out with friends, watching movies, eating sushi, reading, driving, and (of course) swimming. I started as a coach for the Sharks when I was 14, and I have never been happier with a job.
I started swimming with the Sharks (my very first swim team) when I was 8 years old. I didn't expect it to become something I would participate in for 10 consecutive summers and counting, but it is the team that I love which keeps bringing me back. It was while I was with the Sharks that I discovered my love of swimming. Swimming has always been my favorite sport--it is what I do when I need to take some time for myself, when I need to think without interruption, or when I need to relieve stress. The Sharks has not only provided me with time to swim, but also with amazing friends, and some of my favorite summer memories.
Hello, I'm Alex. I started on the Sharks swim team when I was five and am still here after 15 years. I definitely know that the Sharks are the team that has the most fun. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone come back for another great year. GO SHARKS!
My name is Grant and I joined the sharks when I was 6 years old, and I have loved it ever since. I does a miraculous job of preparing athletes for their future swimming careers, teaching the younger ones the basics of surviving in water, and most importantly, having fun. I have met friends in the sharks that I have kept to this very day and memories that I will take with me wherever I go. Every time school ends, it is one of the things that I look forward to and what defines my summer. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have been swimming with the sharks every summer for 13 years, as well as swimming with Peninsula Athletic Club during the year, and doing Varsity Water Polo, and Varsity Swim Team at Woodside High School for all four years. I am a lifeguard, and am now going to the University of Colorado at Boulder, and am on the water polo team and the swim team as well.
My name is Kyle Gordon and I am a senior at Sequoia High School. I have both played water polo and swam here for four years, having a blast all throughout. Now that I am on my way to college, I hope to continue on with my love for the water (mainly swimming in it…although it tastes pretty darn good too!).
Now, the Sharks. I have been a part of this beautiful team since I was a tiny little fellow (meaning I was about four or five years old). Having grown up in Redwood City, this team has become my second home. Each summer, I look forward to the warming smiles, the cheerful jokes, the enthusiastic cheers, the energetic high-fives, and the friendly games of “Sharks and Minnows.” The carefree and joyous nature of this team is what makes me love it so much. Our ability to always laugh, always have a positive attitude, and always win the Inner Tube Relay, all demonstrating how kind and outgoing this team really is. The Sharks will forever hold a special place in my heart, having taught me the
true meaning of friendship and love. Go Sharks!!
With much love and many warm-fuzzies,
Coach Kyle