FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sun Coast Swim Team Welcomes New Head Coach

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Welcome Coach Chuck Gatton!

Sun Coast Swim Team is excited to announce the addition of Coach Charles "Chuck" Gatton as the new head coach for the SCST. Coach Gatton will be working with all our swim groups.  Beginning by June 1^st, Coach Gatton will be found on deck five days a week.  He will continue through the summer and year-round.

Coach Gatton has over 35 years of swim team coaching experience including 15 years as the head coach of USA Club, collegiate, and high school swim teams.  He has produced multiple Top 16, Junior National, and collegiate swimmers, including four National Age Group Record holders.  He swam for NCAA Division I, Towson University, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in physical education.  Following graduation, he taught school in Maryland.  After accepting a position to become Head Coach of Swim Columbus Swim Club in Columbus, Mississippi, he coached there for over ten years and taught at Heritage Academy Elementary School.  Upon relocating to Florida in 2002, he began teaching at Yankeetown School in Yankeetown, Florida.  During his fifteen-year tenure there, he always taught physical education.  In addition to physical education, he was also certified in and taught middle grades social studies and math.  In August 2017, Coach Gatton began teaching in Citrus County at Crystal River Middle School as an ESE Inclusion teacher in civics and science. Since coming to Citrus, he has used his coaching talents to coach the CRMS Golf, Girls Basketball and Track teams.

Coach Gatton shares our commitment to continue to offer a program for all ages and ability levels.  He also echoes our belief that everyone has a special place on the Sun Coast Swim Team.  We believe that age group swimming builds a strong foundation for a lifetime of good physical and mental health by teaching time management, self-discipline, and healthy fitness habits.  Sun Coast Swim Team teaches the ideals of honesty, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship in addition to technique and the value of hard work and dedication.

The Sun Coast Swim Team will be beginning its 28th year at the Bicentennial Pool in Crystal River. During that time SCST has been home to over 750 swimmers. Over 27 SCST Swimmers have gone on to swim in college at NCAA Division I, II, and III and NAIA schools, including FSU, FAU, US Naval Academy, Norwich University, Florida Tech, Indian River State College, Florida Southern, Virginia Military Institute, Daytona State and others.

Look in the coming days and weeks for details about our summer programs, schedule, and meets. Thank you for being part of Sun Coast Swim Team.

See you at the pool!

Sun Coast Swim Team Board of Directors