Laura Matuszak
Laura Matuszak is the Head Coach and co-founder of the Green
Mountain Aquatics. In addition, she is also an Assistant Coach of the Men’s
and Women’s Swim Team at Saint Michael’s College. A graduate of the
University of Michigan, Laura has been involved in competitive swimming for
twenty-five years as a competitor and a coach.
She brings a wealth of experience in both swimming and child
development to the program. She is a specialist in technique and in helping
swimmers develop at their own rates. She has been successful at all levels
from the learn-to-swim to the national level.
When she is not at the pool, Laura enjoys spending time with
her husband, Scott Wood and their dog, Ruckus, a Walker Coon Hound.
Her second favorite sport, after swimming, is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and her
favorite fighter is her husband. Laura also likes visiting Southern
California where her parents and her brother and his family live. She
is especially excited to teach her two nephews, Will and Matthew, to swim
soon!
Laura is American Red Cross certified, a USA Swimming
Certified Coach and an ASCA Certified Level 3 Coach. She will earn her
Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology at Saint Michael’s College in 2008. In
addition, she is very involved in the sport of swimming as a New England
Zone Coach, the New England Technical Chair and an American Swim Coaches
Association Fellow for the year of 2001-2002. In 2006, Laura started her own
business, Green Mountain Sports Performance, LLC. GMSP runs the Green
Mountain Aquatics Swim Team, Green Mountain Aquatics Swim School and Green
Mountain Aquatics Sports Psychology Consulting. Also in 2006, Coach Matuszak
was awarded the ASCA Age Group Coach of the Year for New England Swimming.
Coaching schedule:
Monday through Friday at Saint Michael's College from 5:30-8:30 p.m. working
primarily with the Senior, Sectional and National Groups. Thursday at
Sports and Fitness Edge of South Burlington 3:45-5:30 p.m.
Assistant Coaches
Brad
Brad Fallon is
a long time GMA coach and is currently in his ninth year with the team.
Brad comes to GMA with vast experiences as a lifeguard, swimming instructor
and classroom teacher. He has been instrumental in developing,
implementing and expanding the GMA Age Groups program.
Brad is
currently living in Essex and working at VSAC. He enjoys running and
outdoor activities. He is focused on training for Triathlons and road
races.
Brad's coaching
is goal-oriented. He believes that GMA swimmers must set many small
goals that lead to one large primary goal. He knows that the more
swimmers practices their goals in training, the more successful they will
be.
Coaching Schedule:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Saint Michael's College from 5:15-7:30 p.m.
Cora
Cora Cummings Gauvin
has been coaching for GMA for 4 years. Her swimming experience
is extensive beginning at age 5 when she started swimming for the Burlington
Tennis Club in the summer. She swam for the program until she was 18 and
is now BTC’s head coach and pool director.
Cora was born and raised in South Burlington. After graduating from South Burlington High
School, she attended the University of New Hampshire for Marine Biology, but
transferred back to Vermont to finish her degree in Geography and Human
Development and Family Studies at UVM. Cora currently works at South
Burlington High School as a Para-Educator. She plans on finishing
her Elementary Licensure Program and continuing on to obtain her Master’s of
Education at Saint Michael’s College. She lives in South Burlington with her
husband, Pete..
Besides her love for coaching at both GMA and BTC,
Cora enjoys many activities. She loves to dance (both Irish Step and Hip
Hop), read most anything, bike, swim, and travel. Cora continues to
stay fit and has personal goals to do a triathlon and possibly a marathon
soon.
Cora also enjoys spending time with her
friends and family.
Her coaching focus is to instill a passion for swimming as a lifetime
activity. By making the experience positive, she hopes to give the athletes
tools to make swimming a part of their long term fitness plan.
Cora is American Red Cross certified and is a
USA Swimming Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at Sports and Fitness Edge of South
Burlington from 3:45-5:30 p.m.
Jess
Jess Tuttle has
coached off and on with GMA since 2001. We are all so thrilled that
she was been able to return to our staff in 2007. She grew up swimming
in age group and high school programs in New York State. She continued
her swimming career in college as a successful distance swimmer at Ithaca
College.
Jess lives in
Burlington and works for Smith Barney. She is an avid Masters swimmer,
Triathlon competitor and Open Water racer.
Jess wants to
promote lifelong fitness through swimming with the athletes that she
coaches. She also works to instill the importance of team values for
all GMA swimmers. Jess is American Red Cross certified and is a USA
Swimming Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Mondays and Wednesdays at Saint Michael's College from 5:15-7:00 p.m.
Eileen
Ellie
Gretchen
Grethen Klene
has been coaching with GMA for four years. She started her swimming
career at the age of 12 at the Manchester YMCA. She continued swimming
in college as a member of the Saint Michael's College Swim Team. She
worked throughout high school and college as a Lifeguard and Swimming
Instructor.
Gretchen lives
in Colchester and is teaching at Camel's Hump Middle School. She
serves as the social director for the coaching staff and ensures that the
coaches get together and enjoy time away from the pool. She also
enjoys kayaking and guiding GMA open water swimmers with her kayak.
She is a frequent swimmer, herself, and likes to keep up her swimming
skills. Gretchen is one of four children in a close knit family.
She has a very cute nephew.
Gretchen works
with the GMA athletes and helps them establish meaningful goals for
themselves. She also fosters a team concept with the athletes and asks
them to support each other and know one another's goals.
Coaching Schedule:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Saint Michael's College from 5:15-7:30 p.m.
Jarett
Jarett
Fitzpatrick is a native Vermonter, born and raised in
Colchester, and has been involved with the GMA swimming community since even
before it officially adopted the name ‘GMA.’ He began swimming in the summer
recreational league at the age of six, and since then has competed at all levels
up to a Division 1 collegiate program.
Jarett graduated from Colchester High School in
1998 and went on to earn a BS in Computer science at Bucknell
University. Even though he got a kick out of seeing Amish folk driving
their buggies around central Pennsylvania, he eventually moved back to Vermont and
was thrilled when Laura asked him to join the GMA coaching staff.
While not at work for GMA – coaching or
developing the website – Jarett works as a software developer for Vermont
Information Processing. He enjoys playing sports such as basketball, golf,
skiing and snowboarding and has other interests such as reading, music and just having
fun.
Jarett is American Red Cross Certified and is
a USA Swimming Certified Coach.
Coaching schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays from 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Maria
Maria Cimonetti has been coaching for GMA for 4 years,
primarily at the Sports and Fitness Edge of South Burlington. She comes
from an extensive athletic background beginning as an age group swimmer for
the Lake Champlain Swim Club.
Along with GMA, she coaches adult and youth Triathlon,
and cross country running at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School. Maria brings
a huge wealth of competitive experience to the program. She competes in ski
marathons, open water swim races and is an international competitor in
Triathlon and Aquathlon (a combination of running and swimming).
She firmly believes that there is not a lot a person
can’t do if they focus and put their mind to it. Maria lives in Shelburne
and has two daughters, one is a GMA alumni. She is American Red Cross
certified. Additionally, she is a USA Swimming Certified Coach and a
USA Triathlon Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Mondays through Thursdays and some Fridays at Sports and Fitness Edge of South
Burlington from 3:45-5:30 p.m.
Caitlin
Caitlin Powlus
is in her first year of coaching for GMA. She is a former GMA swimmer
and is staying involved with the team through coaching. She is
recovering from recent shoulder surgery and we are all hopeful that she will
be able to live and work pain-free from now on.
Caitlin is
home-schooled. She is attending Vermont Technical School next year to
study nursing. She is also active in her family, helping take care of
her younger brothers.
Caitlin works
to teach the fun of swimming to the GMA athletes. She knows that if
our athletes find the fun in the sport, they will commit to swimming for the
long term. She is American Red Cross certified and is a USA Swimming
Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Tuesdays and Thursdays at Saint Michael's College from 5:15-7:00 p.m.
Meghan
Meghan has been with the GMA program off and on since
it began. Daughter of the famous Jim Donoghue, she has been swimming since
the age of 3.
Meghan grew up in the Burlington area and was a member
of the Twin Oaks Swim Team. Currently, Meghan is a para-educator at Edwards
Elementary School. She graduated from St. Michael’s College in 2004 with a
Psychology degree. She is now living in Colchester.
Meghan focuses on mindfulness when swimming. She
emphasizes awareness of what the body is doing and on achieving a healthy
balance between the body and mind. She always tries to ensure that the
athletes she coaches are having fun! She is American Red Cross certified
and is a USA Swimming Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Sports and Fitness Edge of South
Burlington from 3:45-5:30 p.m.
Nick
Sarah
Sarah Webb has
three years of coaching experience with GMA and with the Edge Swim Team.
Sarah is a GMA alumnus and a former GMA team captain.
Sarah lives in
Essex and is looking for full-time employment. She graduated from
Union College in May of 2007 with a B.S. in Biology.
Sarah
emphasizes the fun of working hard and doing one's best in training.
She is American Red Cross certified and is a USA Swimming Certified Coach.
Coaching Schedule:
Mondays through Friday at Saint Michael's College from 5:15-7:00 p.m.
Steph
Sammy
