Amanda joined the Tide Swimming staff as Swim School Director in October 2021. After completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Missouri in 2007, Amanda moved to the Virginia Beach area to join the YMCA of South Hampton Roads where she served in a variety of roles and positions for 13 years, most recently the Executive Director of the YMCA JT's Camp Grom.
 

Experience in marketing, program development, aquatic knowledge and a love of working with people are all skills she has brought to the TIDE organization. Amanda's love of the water started in her early years when she joined the Liberty Hills Gators swim team at the age of six, accepting her first coaching position at the age of sixteen. From teaching swim lessons, working swim meets, to providing safety around water or leading a team, Amanda is grateful her skills have allowed her to share this passion with others throughout her life.
 

Amanda enjoys working for an organization that practices achievement through hard work, consistency and diligence, as well as shows a strong commitment to its athletes, their families, and their staff team.

Coach Emily joined TIDE in August 2018 as an assistant coach at the Taylor Bend YMCA. Emily has been involved with swimming her entire life. She grew up in Portsmouth and swam for a local club team and her high school team. Emily went on to attend Mary Washington University and swam all four years, from 1999-2003. Emily graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and continued her education into graduate school, earning a Master's in Education, specializing in Instructional Technology, in 2004. Emily teaches fifth grade for Chesapeake Public Schools at Chittum Elementary. She has coached swimmers from beginners to state qualifiers. She has coached Prenovice, Novice, Developmental Silver, Developmental Gold, Age Group Bronze, and Age Group Silver. During the summers, Emily uses her experience in swim instruction by directing operations and instruction for Tide Swim School at Great Bridge Swim & Racquet Club.

"Hi, my name is Ella Arbuckle, and I have been swimming since I was six years old. This is my second year on Tide, at the Princess Anne YMCA. My favorite events are the 500 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. I am currently a sophomore at Granby High School in the International Baccalaureate Program.

Some of my favorite things to do include spending time with my friends, baking, and reading. Tide has been an amazing experience for me and I am super excited so share my love of swimming!”

Britni joined TIDE Swim School in 2024. She was born and raised in Norfolk and graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University with a bachelor's in Art and Psychology. She will continue her academic career at Eastern Virginia Medical School in their Art Therapy and Counseling Master's Program.

During her swim career, Britni enjoyed the 100 and 200 backstroke and competed in sprint freestyle and the 200 and 400 IM.

She loves swim teaching and coaching and has been a coach for the Lionfish Swim Club for 4 years. In her off time she loves making art and listening to music.

Coach Annie joined TIDE in the fall of 2021 and is currently in the National group at the Princess Anne YMCA. She has been swimming for local clubs and teams since she was six.

When not at the pool, she enjoys shopping and hanging out with friends. Annie attends Norfolk Academy and is a rising junior. She is excited to share her passion for the sport of swimming with younger kids.

Jackson started swimming in the summer league for Little Neck Swim & Racquet Club when he was in kindergarten. He swam year-round with Tide for 5 years. He is currently on the First Colonial High School swim team and lacrosse team.

Jackson will return again this summer for his second year as a Little Neck summer league coach. In his free time, Jackson enjoys fishing, being outdoors, and playing guitar.

Site Supervisor, Little Neck Swim & Racquet Club

"Hi, my name is Rachael and I've always been at my happiest in the water! I was born and raised on the Eastern Shore which is a peninsula surrounded by water, so it was easy to find water activities. When I was in middle and high school I did swim competitively for a few years before continuing my career advancement within the medical field.

As years have passed, I found TIDE and found my passion right back within the water and teaching safety skills to our younger swimmers. Becoming a part of Tide swimming has been nothing short of amazing during my journey so far, amd I can't wait to see what the future brings being a part of this team!"

"Hi!! My name is Abi, and I've been swimming competitively since I was six years old. I'm a rising sophomore, swimming (breaststroke and sprint freestyle) with Virginia Wesleyan University and majoring in International Studies.

When I'm not at the pool, I love to go to the beach, play with my puppy Atlantic, and visit new areas around Virginia Beach! I'm excited to meet and teach new swimmers this summer!!

"I'm Sophie Dupre! I'm 16 years old and a rising junior at Norfolk Academy. I've been swimming since I was very young and hope to continue doing it throughout the rest of high school. I'm a Tide swimmer and always love working with the little ones. I'm excited to teach them what I love to do."

Coach Anna joined TIDE as a swimmer in 2016 and began coaching in 2022. She currently trains in the Senior Gold group at the Princess Anne YMCA with Coach Scott. She specializes in long-distance freestyle events and events over 200 meters/yards. Anna is a student at First Colonial High School in the Legal Studies Academy and is always challenging herself academically. She is in multiple AP classes and her hobbies include reading, being a part of SCA, and many different clubs at First Colonial High School!

Anna's favorite food is anything from Trader Joe's (specifically avocados and peanut butter) and her favorite games are anagrams. Anna enjoys being a TIDE swimmer because it gives her a chance to interact with so many different people every day and learn how to be a good teammate and leader. She loves swimming competitively and is excited to share her passion with younger swimmers.

Coach Leilani joined Tide Swim School in 2024.

Coach Ellie joined Tide in 2017 as a year-round swimmer and is in her first year as a member of the swim school instructor team. She currently trains at the Princess Anne YMCA with the Senior Gold practice group. She specializes in butterfly and IM and considers herself to be a well-rounded swimmer.

She attends Norfolk Academy where she swims on the Varsity team. When she is not in the pool, Ellie enjoys surfing, wakeboarding, and anything in the water. She is also a passionate supporter of Save The Bay programs. Ellie is the oldest of four siblings, so she loves kids! She can't wait to share her love of swimming with Tide's youngest and newest participants.

"I've been swimming for Tide since 2018 and am currently in the Senior Gold group at the Great Bridge site. My favorite events are the 100 Breaststroke and 200 IM. I am a junior at Grassfield High School and love science. My favorite food is Wendy's french fries, but don't tell my coach!

I am excited to be coaching this year and to be able to share my love for swimming with younger swimmers. Tide has had such an amazing impact on my life and I am grateful for this opportunity to pay it forward!"

"I am a very passionate swimmer who loves working with kids. I am very excited to be a part of this program!"

"I have been swimming competitively for eight years now and on TIDE for almost two years in Senior Gold at Great Bridge. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, reading, and spending time outside. I have loved the water all my life, and I am so excited to share that love with kids!"

Coach Jaclyn joined TIDE in 2019 and currently swims in the Senior Gold group at the Great Bridge YMCA. She joined our team of swim school instructors in 2022. When she's not at the pool or second-hand shopping, she's spending time with her dog Henry, whom her family refers to as her brother since she is an only child.

Jaclyn has been a year-round swimmer for almost five years and currently has the 200 breast senior champs cut with hopes of achieving more! She has a deep passion for working with kids and likes forming personal connections with them in order to understand what teaching style works best for them. She is so thrilled to be working with them at Tide Swim School this summer!

"I joined Tide in 2014 and I currently train in the Senior Gold group at the Princess Anne YMCA. When I was six, I started swimming in the summer for the Alanton Bolts and I still enjoy doing that! This is my first year being a part of the Tide Swim School program. I attend Norfolk Academy and am a rising junior. I am also a member of the varsity swim team at NA.

My favorite strokes are freestyle and backstroke. Some of my favorite hobbies are going to the beach, hanging out with friends, painting, and playing with my dog - a golden retriever named Kit. I am so excited to coach Swim School this summer because swimming has provided me with so many fun and memorable experiences, so I hope that everyone will be able to have those, too."

Coach Morgan joined Tide Swimming in 2022. Prior to joining TIDE, she swam for many other teams in the area. Coach Morgan has been swimming since she was five years old and is so excited to help the younger swimmers! She plans to attend the University of Lynchburg, where she will continue her swim career. Coach Morgan’s favorite events are 500 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, and 400 IM. Coach Morgan is so excited to share her passion for swimming with her younger swimmers! Go TIDE!!

Coach Kayleigh joined TIDE as a swimmer in 2020. Her swimming career began in 2010 on a summer league team, and she continued swimming through her senior year of high school. Her favorite events were the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She now attends Virginia Tech where she studies chemistry. Kayleigh loves coaching because it allows her to give back to the sport that she grew up with and learned so much from. She is very excited to work with TIDE!

Sofia joined TIDE in 2021 and this is her second year training in the national group at the Princess Anne YMCA. Sofia has swum for almost her entire life! She is currently a student at Norfolk Academy. "Some of my favorite things to do are going to the beach, playing with my dogs, and hanging out with my friends!

I enjoy teaching and playing with kids as well as swimming! I am so excited to start Tide Swim School because I can give back to my team and the sport of swimming.”

"I've been swimming since I was nine years old, and I joined Tide four years ago. I practice with the Senior Silver group at the Princess Anne YMCA. I'm best at backstroke and freestyle and I love to sprint. I like coffee and going to the beach. I'm very excited to be coaching younger kids this year and to share my love of swimming with them."

Coach Camryn joined Tide Swim School in 2023. She has been a part of Tide since 2018 and currently trains in the Senior Gold group! Camryn has been swimming since she was three years old and is so excited to share her passion by teaching younger kids about how much fun swimming can be! She attends Grassfield High School in the Governor's STEM Academy and enjoys being involved through the class office and the varsity swim team.

Some of Camryn's favorite things include beach trips, sunrises and sunsets, being with friends, shopping, and coffee runs! She loves being a Tide swimmer because of all the amazing coaches and teammates she can train with and the opportunities swimming with Tide has provided her. Camryn can't wait to have fun with the Tide Swim School!

Coach Jason joined TIDE swimming in January 2017. Beautiful Virginia Beach has been his home since graduating from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In addition to coaching ICS and Tide Masters, Jason is also an active US Masters competitive swimmer for TIDE, where he primarily specializes in middle and long-distance freestyle events, as well as long-distance open-water races. When not swimming, he loves to surf and spend time out on the water.

Coach Brody is a swimmer on our team who loves swimming and surfing! When he isn't by or in the water, he is probably asleep or eating. He is a second-year coach for Tide Swim School, and the photo shows him competing for us in the annual Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service's Open Water 1-mile swim at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

Megan joined Tide Swim School in the summer of 2024. She has been a TIDE swimmer for three years and has been a member of the Little Neck Swim Team for ten years. She enjoys working with children and watching them grow as stronger swimmers who are more confident in the water.

In her free time, she likes to hangout with family and friends and go to the beach. She is looking forward to sharing her love of swimming this summer!

Tyler joined Tide in late 2017 and swims with the Senior Gold group at Great Bridge. He has been swimming competitively for eight years and has a brother who also swims for Tide. Tyler is currently in the Science and Medicine Academy at Deep Creek High School. His favorite thing to do outside of swimming is playing video games. "I'm very excited to share my love and passion for this sport with younger kids!"

"Hi, my name is Avery Taylor and I'm 16 years old. I have been on Tide since 2012, and I'm currently in Senior Gold at the Princess Anne site. I have been swimming almost my whole life and also started swimming for the Cape Henry varsity swim team last year. Some of the things I enjoy outside the pool include going on the boat, hanging out with my friends and family, and shopping.

I have two younger siblings and have babysat multiple times, so I have lots of experience with kids. I can't wait to help younger children learn the basic and complex parts of swimming while also sharing my love for the sport!"

Brittany graduated from Ferrum College in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Studies. "My favorite part about being a swim coach is watching the transformation of swimmers as they build their confidence in swimming! When I'm not at Swim School I love to be home with my pets! I have 4 leopard geckos, a scorpion, and a chinchilla!”