Coaches and Directors
Spokane Wave's professional coaching staff bring years of club and collegiate swimming experience together to provide a comprehensive training experience for swimmers of all ages and levels of experience. After reading about our coaches, learn more about our training groups or schedule a tryout!
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am-2pm
Husband and father of three, Shane has coached the developmental groups ( Ripples, Wave Riders, and Bronze) for SWAT since 2019. He swam competitively from early childhood through his first year at Whitworth University.
“Swimming is not just a sport, it’s also a life skill. But there’s a big difference between thinking you know how to swim, and knowing how to swim. Competitive swimming is that difference. From construction sites to the shop and from graphic design to hunting and fishing, hands on creative problem solving is what I do best. And I am happy to spend my evenings putting those skills to the test with this new generation of swimmers.” - Coach Shane
All swimmers in each group are held to the same standards. Because of the steep learning curve, consistent attendance will help your swimmer stay on track with their training group.
Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 2pm-4pm
Coach Hans has been in the swimming world since he was six years old and has been coaching for seventeen years now. Getting his start swimming around Washington, DC for Nation's Capitol Aquatics Club, he went on to swim in college for George Mason University (GMU) while coaching during the summers for Sideburn Run Rec Association, his former summer league swim team.
After graduating from GMU, he started coaching for Machine Aquatics in Vienna, Virginia before moving out to Bellingham, WA to take the Head Age Group Coach position for Bellingham Bay Swim Team (BBST). After four years with BBST, Hans moved out to Spokane to build up the Cheney site for Spokane Waves.
Hans is now on his sixth season with Spokane Waves and is excited to continue building SWAT’s Cheney site.
Hans Coaches the Gold and Senior Groups in Cheney.
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am-2pm
Kathryn is a Spokane native who began swimming with Spokane Area Swimming at the age of 7. She then swam for Spokane Waves and represented Inland Empire Swimming on two Zone teams before moving to Missoula, Montana, for high school. In Missoula she swam for Missoula Aquatic Club and Hellgate High School. As team captain she led the Hellgate High School girls team to a 3rd place finish at state in 1999. She earned a scholarship to swim at Rutgers University where she earned a B.A. in History and Journalism and an M.Ed.. She returned to Spokane and teaches AP U.S. history and newspaper journalism at Central Valley High School. Kathryn and her husband have two children who she hopes will love swimming as much as she does – though they are a little young to join the team at this point! She looks forward to returning to coaching and sharing her love of the sport with a new generation of swimmers.
Swimming Accomplishments
- 15 years of competitive swimming
- Inland Empire Zone Team member (1995, 1996)
- Montana high school state champion (1997, 1998, 1999) and high school state record holder, 200 free and 500 free
- Montana Swimming state records in almost all freestyle events
- Junior National competitor in mid-distance and distance freestyle events (1997, 1998, 1999)
- varsity letter earner for Rutgers University women’s swim team which finished in the top 3 at Big East Conference each year, team captain senior year
- member of school record setting 800 freestyle relay at Rutgers
Coaching Experience:
- head coach of Spokane Parks and Recreation summer swim team (2001-2004)
- graduate assistant coach for Rutgers University men’s and women’s swim team (2003-2004)
- head coach of Cheney High School girls and boys teams (2004-2008)
- assistant coach for Spokane Area Swimming (2008-2012)
