We are here to support your needs. If your questions are related to workouts, meets, events, goal setting, and other swimming related needs, please contact one of the coaches. For all questions related to administrative, such as dues, safety, or policy issues, please contact one of the board members.
Rockwood Swim Club is pleased to provide its many accomplished coaches for the development of swimmers at every age group and talent level. Our coaching staff is considered one of the finest in the country, with many, many years of coaching tenure represented across all groups.
All of RSCA’s coaches excel in leadership, education, and certification.
Many of our coaches have competed and/or coached at the national level - including at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels, and are proactive members of both USA Swimming and the American Swimming Coaches Association.
For further information regarding these organizations, refer to www.usaswimming.org orwww.swimmingcoach.org
COACHING STAFF:
SEAN HARRISON, Head Coach and National Prep Group Coach ([email protected])
Sean Harrison is a St. Louis native who began swimming when he was 9 years old. Sean started out at the pre-competitive South City YMCA swim team and eventually swam for the Kirkwood-Webster YMCA team and Spirit of St. Louis Swimming. Sean began coaching the Spirit Swim Team while in high school and worked with the 6-9 year old Developmental Group. While attending Lindbergh High School, Sean played water polo and swam all 4 years. He qualified for the state championships all 4 years and had Sectional cuts in several events.
After high school, Sean attended St. Louis Community College at Meramec for 2 years where he earned his Associate degree. While at Meramec, Sean coached for the Flyers Aquatic Swim Team for 2 years as well as the Sunset Hills swim team during the Summer season. Sean then transferred to the University of South Florida in Tampa to pursue a degree in History. While in Tampa, Sean coached for the New Tampa YMCA with former Olympic swimmer Mitzi Kremer. Sean became the Head Age Group Coach for TNTY and coached multiple Junior Olympic qualifiers. While attending USF, Sean played and helped coach the water polo club. In addition, he was the assistant coach of the Freedom High School swim team.
Sean earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 2007 and began teaching 6th Grade Geography in Tampa. Sean now lives in St. Louis with Michelle, his wife who also coached with Rockwood. Sean and Michelle have two children, Christian and Elliana.
BEN KITCHEN, Associate Head Coach, National Coach ([email protected])
Coach Ben Kitchen coached with Northern Lights Swim Club in Anchorage Alaska from 1996-present. He worked primarily with the Senior Elite Comp (National team) Winning Alaska Senior Coach of the year 6 times during his tenure.
His family moved before senior year of high school from powerhouse Blue Springs High School and the Kansas City Blazers to a small program at McCluer North high school in North county. (He was overjoyed-not so much). Making the best of the situation Ben helped lead the team to their best finish in school history and his previously unknown algebra teacher/swim coach won coach of the year at the Missouri State Championships that year 1991. He still holds the school record in the 50 freestyle. This was the beginning of a long successful career in coaching the sport of swimming.
He attended Southern Illinois University and competed on the men’s team as a sprinter until a shoulder injury forced an early retirement from the sport.
He moved to Alaska “for the summer” and never left. He met his wife of 24 years and started a family raising two boys, Gavin 19 and Duncan 15 respectively.
Ben has produced countless collegiate athletes from full ride swimmers to walk on swimmers at all levels of the sport.
Highlights include coaching Lydia Jacoby through COVID while her home pool was shut down and into the trials and a gold medal. The first swimmer from Alaska to accomplish this feat.
Coaching at every level of USA Swimming Championship meets:
Zones, Sectionals, Futures, Junior Nationals, Senior Nationals and Olympic Trials. Missed out on traveling to Tokyo as an Olympic Coach in 2021 due to COVID regulations restricting coach numbers.
Winning 13 State team titles as a high school coach(6 girls 7 boys) and over 20 state team titles for his club team.
He is very much looking forward to continuing his success with the Rockwood Swim Club and leading this new group of swimmers to their maximum potential as athletes, humans and as a team. Sending them into the world with all the advantages that can be gained through participating in this great sport.
DAN BROSHEARS - GOLD AND SENIOR GROUP ([email protected])
Dan Broshears is returning to Rockwood Swim Club. Coach B coached with the club from 1994-1998 and then again in 2006-2008. While with the club he worked mainly with Bronze, Silver and Swim America. He has just finished his 25th year as head coach of Webster Groves High School. While at Webster he was a three sport coach for 17 years coaching both men's and women's swimming, freshman boys soccer, girls varsity soccer assistant coach, and one season as the girls cross country coach. He coached several state champions in swimming and has led the team to final four team finishes twice. In the past four seasons his girls team finished in the top eight each year with a third place finish in 2019. During his time with Webster his swimmers accumulated seven high school All-American times. In addition to Webster Coach B spent 11 years as the head coach of the Shrewsbury Municipal team and 10 years as the head coach of St. Louis Tsunami swimming. He is currently the coach for Westborough Country Club in the summer. Coach Broshears is married to Becky and they have four kids, triplets - two daughters and a son, as well as a younger daughter. When not at the pool he enjoys fishing, hiking, walking his dogs, and spending time with his family.
LIZ KNOESEL, Head Age Group Coach [email protected]
SILVER AND AGE GROUP DEVELOPMENT (AGD) North Group Coach
Liz Knoesel is the lead coach for the Silver and Age Group Development North Groups. Liz has been involved in Aquatics for over 20 years in multiple roles from teaching Parent/Child swim lessons to coaching Master’s Swimming. Liz was Head Swim Coach at the Wildwood Family YMCA for five years before joining the Rockwood coaching staff in 2016. Liz is passionate about making sure swimmers are learning the correct fundamentals and building a strong foundation that they can continue to build upon as they progress in the sport. She is married with four children (2 girls who swim and 2 boys who refused to swim competitively, but love baseball!) and two crazy labs.
Erik Strom, Head Developmental Coach [email protected]
BRONZE, SILVER AND AGE GROUP DEVELOPEMENT (AGD) South Group Coach
Erik was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started club swimming at 12 years old. He swam for his High School team (captain his Senior year) and four years in college (three time Division II National Champion). Erik received his Bachelor of Arts in video production from San Francisco State University.
Erik’s coaching experience includes being a developmental coach at Parkway from 1999 to 2006 and head coach of the Rec Plex Sharks from 2006 to 2024. He has worked with swimmers just starting in the sport to Sectionals Champions and an Olympic Trials qualifier.
Erik lives in Webster Groves with his wife Debbie, their son Cole and their cat Bella. Away from the pool he enjoys time with his family, hiking, reading and cooking.
DANIELLE STALLINGS, Bronze North Group Coach [email protected]
Danielle joined the coaching staff in 2021 after working with the swim school for 7 years as an instructor and supervisor. Danielle has been coaching a local summer league since 2017. She is eager to help swimmers improve and succeed. Currently Danielle is an Elementary Special Education Teacher in the Ritenour School District.
BRIAN KUPFERER - Assistant Group Coach, National Prep
Brian has been with RSCA since 2015 but worked for RSCA back in the 2000s as well. He has a wealth of experience in all levels of swimmers. He was the Head Coach of Wichita Swim Club prior to returning to St. Louis. He is currently a Special Education Coordinator in the Mehlville School Distict. He is highly motivated to see our swimmers succeed.
MICHELLE HARRISON, Assistant Group Coach
Michelle was first with RSCA from 2010-2014, and started back up again in 2022. She has a lot of experience teaching young swimmers and has coached with several YMCAs for many years . She has coached a couple of summer league teams in the area as well. Michelle currently teaches ELL at Green Pines Elementary in the Rockwood School District. She loves seeing swimmers improve their stroke techniques and seeing them learn more about swimming.
MARY LISTON, Assistant Group Coach
Coach Liston has been with Rockwood for over 25 years and in the St Louis area for 40+. Mary has served in various capacities with Ozark LSC from camps facilitator to swim-a-thon representative. Additionally, Coach Liston has served on multiple Zones and National Camp staffs as both coach and manager. Today she is one of the original members of the Coaches Advisory Council for USA Swimming serving from 2021-2024. On the personal side Mary attended and graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo and University of Southern California with a degree in Psychology and Sociology. She has a daughter who resides in Long Beach, California.
BRAD MORRISON, Assitant Group Coach, National Group
ELIZABETH VORBECK, Assistant Coach National Group
MORGAN DODGE, Assistant Coach National Group
CHRISTIE CLOUTMAN, Assistant Group Coach
MEGAN LAUCK, Assistant Group Coach
CLAIRE MANISCALCO , Assistant Group Coach
JASON WEISE, Assistant Group Coach
NATE KORTUEM, Assistant Group coach
JOSH KLARICH, Assitant Group Coach
KRISTEN CHALFANT, Assistant Group Coach
KAREN MOELLENHOFF, Assistant Group Coach
GINA THIEMANN, Operations Specialist ([email protected])
