Coaches and Directors
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Howie Leathers is the Head Coach of the entire LSSC team. He became the full-time during the start up phase of Lake Superior Swim Club. The coaching philosophy of the team comes under Howie's direction and is instrumental in determining the philosophy of the entire team. Howie cut his coaching teeth at the Stanford Swim Camps in 1991 and 1992. At Stanford, Howie worked under the direction of Skip Kenney and Richard Quick, two of the most celebrated coaches in USA Swimming history. After leaving Stanford, Howie started a Masters swim club at Bemidji State University and served as Head Coach for the Bemidji Area Super Swimmers, helping them capture the Minnesota Short Course Championship title in 1993. As a swimmer at Bemidji State University, Howie was named team captain his junior year and also earned All-America honors in 1991. Howie believes that his responsibility as a swim coach reaches far beyond the pool. His goal is to help all athletes reach their highest potential socially as well as academically. |
Marly grew up in Grand Rapids, MN and started swimming for the YMCA team at age 6. From there she went on to captain the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks. After high school, Marly went on to swim at Carleton College where she was a letter winner and team captain her senior year. As a collegiate athlete, Marly was the recipient of the prestigious All-MIAC Sportsmanship Award, the Carleton Swimming and Diving Most Inspirational Award, and one of two winners of the Ele Hansen Award, which is given to female athletes that have positively influenced other through example, service, and leadership in athletics.
After graduating, she worked for a few years as a barista, a vet receptionist, and is now back in school to earn her teaching license. Prior to joining LSSC’s coaching staff, Marly coached with the Northfield Bullsharks Swim Club in Northfield. Marly is very excited to be back on deck and working with the Lake Superior Swim Club!
Kris did not
grow up a competitive swimmer. However, he excelled in two highly
technical sports; Nordic skiing and discus throwing. He believes
that the analysis of technique and use of drills to correct
inefficiencies from those sports were invaluable when he took up
swimming to compete in triathlons. He has completed over 50
triathlons in the past 20 years.
Kris spent 14 years in the US Army. After a successful start to his
career in Intelligence, Kris went through the 15-month training
course to become a Green Beret. It was this training that convinced
him that one’s mental state can overcome extreme
discomfort.
Kris believes in a quality-over-quantity approach to swimming,
aiming to improve aerobic and stroke efficiency. His goals at LSSC
are to provide a safe environment for all swimmers, an atmosphere
that keeps swimmers coming back, and the tools to set swimmers on
the path to become their best. He believes that the skills athletes
develop through swimming will pay off both in sport, and in
life’s many challenges outside the pool.
Elizabeth Peterson has worked in and around pools for more than a decade – as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and swim coach. She started coaching after high school with the summer swim team at the Duluth YMCA. In 2013, she took a more serious role as the Assistant Coach for her alma mater, Duluth East Girls’ Swim and Dive. When the season ended, she did a brief stint as an assistant coach with LSSC until August 2014, when she left Duluth to attend graduate school in Oklahoma.
Even land locked Oklahoma couldn’t keep Elizabeth away from the pool! Elizabeth joined the staff of Sooner Swim Club, under the direction of Kent Nicholson, and within several months was the head coach of the developmental age groups. She worked for SSC for three years before returning to Duluth in August 2017. During her time with SSC, she grew into her coaching abilities and is excited to rejoin LSSC this fall.
Elizabeth brings a positive, caring attitude to the team and is eager to help your swimmers grow and succeed both in the pool and out of it.
