Justin M. Slade
Head Coach
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Justin Slade, the Head Coach of FAST, has
successfully coached competitive swimming for the past 10 years. He
received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Arizona
State University, graduating in 1999 with a Masters Degree in
Exercise Science (Sport Psychology). He is a founding member
of the Flying Fish Arizona Swim Team (FAST) and Sonoran Desert
Aquatics, the 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, which governs the
swim team. Prior to the creation of FAST, Justin coached with
Eldorado Aquatics Club (EDAC) in Tucson in 2007. He began his
coaching career with Sun Devil Aquatics (SDA) in Phoenix, where
during an 8-year stint he was instrumental in setting up and
developing the extremely successful SDA satellite program that now
consists of 8 groups of swimmers at three locations.
Through his
coaching, Justin has helped numerous swimmers achieve their best.
During the 2003/2004 season, he coached eight 11-12 Age Group
Swimmers that ranked 1st and 3rd in the United
States in the 400 Medley Relay. Numerous swimmers he has coached became State Champions,
Far Western Champions and Zone Champions. He has helped swimmers
achieve Top-16 Rankings and National #1 Individual and Relay
Rankings. Additionally, many of the swimmers he has coached became
Senior National and Olympic Trial Qualifiers.
Justin has
been involved with swimming since he was 6-years old. He developed
a love of swimming and the water as a competitive Age Group swimmer
in South Africa. His swimming accomplishments span two continents
and include being a finalist at the South African Nationals for 3
years and a member of the provincial team (Transvaal) that set the
South African record in the 200 Freestyle Relay in 1991. During his
freshman year of college at California State University in
Bakersfield, he was an Academic All American. Justin contributed to
both individual events (100 Butterfly and 50 Freestyle) and team
relays (200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Medley Relay) to help the
Roadrunners win the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1993.
Justin transferred to Arizona State University in 1993 where he was
a three-year letter winner and Pac-10 finalist. Justin’s long and accomplished relationship with
swimming and his passion for this sport are evident in his coaching
style and dedication to each of his swimmers.
Jim Spears
Senior Coach
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Jim Spears is a graduate of Central Conneticut State University,
with a degree in physical education. He has over 45 years of
coaching experience with children just starting out, and with
swimmers who have achieved a number one national ranking.
Matt Brauer
Age Group Coach
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Coach Matt serves FAST as
assistant coach since the teams inception. His competitive
swimming began at the age of six with SAAA and later expanded to
USA Swimming. Coach Matt’s individual accomplishments
as a swimmer include several age group team records, Age Group
Championships in Backstroke, along with "High Point"
recognition. During his High School career, he continued to
swim with USA on a year-round basis and served as Team Captain of
Salpointe’s Men’s Swim and Dive Team for his Junior and
Senior years. Coach Matt was a Far Western Qualifier and
Sectional participant. In addition to coaching, he is a
certified water safety instructor and lifeguard for the Town of Oro
Valley.
Away from the
water, Coach Matt is a Music Education major at the University of
Arizona in his Senior year. He is an accomplished pianist and
has now re-directed his musical talents as a vocalist.
Darren J Maxwell
Age Group Coach
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Darren Maxwell joined
the
FAST
coaching staff in
February 2010 to bring his wealth of experience to both
our
USA
and SAAA training groups.
Darren began swimming at the age of seven, on the West Coast
Aquatics Swim Team in
San
Jose
,
CA
, where he grew up. By
the time he was 18, he was swimming under U.S. Olympic Team Coach,
Frank Busch, at the
University
of
Arizona
, where he was a Pac 10
finalist and helped the Wildcats achieve a top-three place NCAA
team finish for the three consecutive years. In 2006 and 2007,
Darren was recognized on FINA’s Top 100 Fastest World
Swimming Times in multiple events he was a U.S. National
Championship finalist.
In 2007, after his very
successful time at the
University
of
Arizona
, Darren transferred to
the
University
of
Hawaii
. During that year, he
was again an NCAA swimmer, a school record holder, a Conference USA
record holder, the captain of the swim team and was voted Most
Inspirational Swimmer. While at the
University
of
Hawaii
, his swimming career
culminated in qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Trials
in
Omaha
Nebraska
. Although Darren refers
to the opportunity to qualify for but not succeed at the Olympic
Trials as the “last meet of my career,” it was
certainly not the end of his desire to contribute to the sport of
competitive swimming. Darren’s unique ability to articulate
the mechanics of swimming, together with his amazing
accomplishments make him a valuable asset to
FAST
.
Darren is a certified and
registered USA Swimming Coach and holds current certifications in
First Aid and CPR. Darren received a Bachelor of Social and
Behavioral Sciences degree in Communications and Business from
the
University
of
Arizona
in 2009. When he is not
coaching for
FAST
, he is an insurance
agent and investment analyst with Farm Bureau Financial Services,
here in
Oro
Valley
.
Melanie N Paulsen
Junior Coach
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Melanie Paulsen is 17 years old and has been swimming
competitively for 9
years. Beginning at 8
years old, she swam SAAA for five years, earning high-point at SAAA
Championships when she was 10. Because she enjoyed the sport
immensely, she began swimming year-round at age 12, earning her
first AZ State Q-time in 2007. Her most recent accomplishment, at
Senior State Championship meet, she earned her first Sectional Cut
in the 1000-yard freestyle. Her goal for the upcoming Long
Course season is to get two or three more Sectional Cuts and attend
the Sectional meet in July. While she is thrilled with these
accomplishments and excited about her new swimming goals, she feels
that enjoying each step along the way and encouraging others in the
sport is most important. She considers it a great
privilege to be asked back again this season to teach the Green
Group lessons. Aside
from swimming, teaching is her passion!
Melanie has certifications in First Aid, CPR,
AED and is a Certified Lifeguard. She is also a certified and
registered USA Swimming coach.
Outside the water Melanie spends most of her
time studying. She is a
homeschooled and is earning dual credit for college courses. Her academic goals include
high school graduation and college graduation with a BS in Natural
Sciences and Mathematics at the end of spring, 2010. In her precious few hours of free
time, she likes to spend time with her family and friends and loves
to read!
Samantha J Gurrieri
Junior Coach
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“Sammi,” is one of the newest members of the
FAST
coaching staff and has been a member of
FAST
since its inception in 2008. She began swimming at the age of 12,
splitting her time between competition dancing and competitive
swimming for several years. In 2007, her passion for the sport of
swimming won out over dancing and she has been “in the
water” just about every day for the past 3 years. She has
competed in both SAAA and USA Swimming, and is a member of the
Ironwood Ridge High School Swim Team, where she currently attends
school.
Sam’s other passion is working with the
“littlest” swimmers. With her approachable personality
and endless patience, she is bound to give the newest and smallest
members of
FAST
an excellent start in the sport of competitive swimming. Sam is a
certified and registered USA Swimming Coach and holds current
certifications in First Aid and CPR. She hopes to attend college in
a few years to pursue teaching and marketing.
Breanne N Purcell
Junior Coach
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Bre, recently joined
the
FAST
coaching staff as a
swimming instructor. She has 9 years of competitive swimming
experience and has been a member of
FAST
since its inception in
2008. Bre began her swimming career in 2001 in the SAAA summer
league. She has also competed in USA Swimming and is a state
medalist for the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy High School Swim
Team. Bre has worked with young children for many years, at her
church as a volunteer in the nursery and as an assistant for
various child activates, as well as in her home, which welcomes
foster children. She has been a swimming instructor to her own
siblings and to numerous foster children, a job that she truly
enjoys.
Bre
currently attends
Pusch
Ridge
Christian
Academy
, where she is an honor
student enrolled in four honors classes. Although schoolwork and
her involvement with swimming take up much of her time, she
regularly volunteers at a youth group on Wednesdays and at her
church as head of the video department on Sundays. Bre is a
certified and registered USA Swimming Coach and holds current
certifications in First Aid and CPR. In her spare time, Bre enjoys
reading, painting, and playing the guitar and
keyboard.
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