GP Swim: Head Coach for 2017 & Beyond

I hope everyone's school year has been good so far. It's hard to believe but our Frog's swim season begins in just 95 days! With the season fast approaching I wanted to inform you of our coaching plan for 2017 and beyond.

Last summer when Coach Elise announced her departure from our team, Assistant Coach Julia Pedersen expressed interest in the head coaching position. However, Julia will be pursuing a masters degree at Sacred Heart University this summer and will not be able to be with the team for the 2017 season.

I am certain that you agree that Julia is a rare coaching talent with her experience/knowledge of swimming and her close connection to both Frogs and parents. In addition, in the long history of Greenwood Park swimming, there may have never been a more loyal, committed or enthusiastic Frog than Julia, who joined the team in 2001. So, not wanting to miss the opportunity to secure Julia as our coach of the future, we plan to have Julia rejoin our team as the head coach in the summer of 2018.

For 2017, we are extremely excited to have found a highly qualified and incredibly enthusiastic head coach in Ms. Jennifer Carullo, who was willing to join our team for a one-year assignment. Coach Jenn grew up swimming for the Mays Landing Mantas (which became the South Jersey Mariners). She not only Captained the Oakcrest High School Swim Team, but is responsible for bringing swimming to that high school by petitioning the school board.

Coach Jenn is a resident of Washington Township and is a social studies teacher at Williamstown High School (WHS), where she was the head swim coach from 2011 to 2014. During her tenure as WHS coach she grew the team from 22 to 115 swimmers through her great leadership and infectious spirit. Coach Jenn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history (with a specialization in Holocaust and genocide studies) from Stockton University in 2007. Coach Jenn is very excited to join GP for the season and she will do a great job of carrying on our great Frog tradition.       

We are also excited to announce that Assistant Coaches Nick Fondacaro and Jimmy Perry will be returning for the 2017 season. Nick and Jimmy are very talented young coaches and were an important part of the success and fun we had last year both in and out of the pool. Coach Jenn will be hiring a third assistant prior to the start of the season.

Thank you to Megan Morgan, Brian Scavetta and Erik Shenk who joined Swim Team Chair Ryan Morris and served on the coaches search/interview committee.

A couple more issues:

- The first Lily Pad meeting of the year will be held on Feb. 27 at 7:00 pm at Daryl D'Angelo's house at 16 Meadowview Drive, Sewell. All moms, dads, grandparents and friends are welcome. Please RSVP via email to Kim Morris at ksm101977@gmail.com.

- Please look for an announcement next week on team signups where you will have an opportunity to meet new Head Coach Jenn Carullo.

Finally, please join me in wishing Coach Julia the best as she completes her senior year at Sacred Heart!

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Mike D'Andrea - GP Tri-County Rep.