Coach Matt is a highly accomplished swim coach with nearly 30 years of developing, mentoring, and growing young athletes. These accomplishments include guiding swimmers to the US Olympic trials, Senior & Junior National finalists, and countless State & Regional qualifiers in Arizona, Nevada, and California.
While maintaining the highest level of all-inclusive swim clubs, Coach Rankin brings the enthusiasm, leadership and team building attitude the Arizona Seals swim family is accustomed to.
Coach Connor is an Arizona Seal alumni with more than 7 years of competitive swimming under his belt. During his career, Connor represented the Arizona Seals at multiple Az State and Sectional swim meets. Connor is a graduate of Maricopa High School. Prior to coaching for the Seals, Connor coached the City of Maricopa Recreation team for 2 years. Connor is a Certified Lifeguard and is currently attending Central Arizona Community College.
When not coaching, Connor enjoys time with family and friends.
Coach Sarah joined the Arizona Seals Swimming Academy in March 2020, as the team’s Dry Land Coach. She was born and raised on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Coach Sarah began competitive swimming at the age of 8; in both an Olympic size pool and with her local Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). She was Age Group Swimming Champion from 8th-12th grades and competed at Local and Regional levels. Coach Sarah’s favorite still water events include: 50m free, 100m free, 100m Fly and 200m IM. In the ocean, she competed in all events, but her top 3 were: the Surf Race, Board Rescue and Ironwoman. She also represented her SLSC at the Local, State and National levels.
In 2000, Coach Sarah moved to Bahrain to fulfill her dream of becoming a world class flight attendant for Gulf Air. During her time in the Middle East, she was fortunate to travel the world and eventually meet her husband, who was serving in the US Navy. After starting a family in 2007, Coach Sarah returned to college and earned her associate degree from Central Arizona College in 2016 and completed her Certified Group Fitness Trainer certification in 2021.
Coach Sarah’s passion for health and fitness has always been at the forefront of her mind. She enjoys coaching and mentoring our teams’ swimmers to be the best they can be in and out of the water. Her philosophy is that all should have fun working out while achieving their personal goals. Having been an athlete, she understands the importance of dry land fitness and how it can improve a swimmer’s physical/mental strength, flexibility, and speed in the water.
When not coaching, she works her full-time job as a School Receptionist and enjoys traveling, shopping, catching up with friends, playing sports and spending quality time with her husband and 3 children.
