Head Coach Jennifer Gil Smetana swam competitively in Texas from an age grouper through her college years at the University of the Incarnate Word. Jen started teaching swim lessons at the age of 15, helping her local summer swim league team, which allowed her to develop her coaching skills from a young age. Her mother famously said, “she never had swim lessons but has always been a fish”.

Jen has a true love of coaching and teaching and tries to make each individual swimmer feel seen and wanted on the pool deck. This mentality is what she instills in her staff and is what helps make the San Antonio Wave have that family-like feel.

Jen is married to Joshua Smetana, who before they were married use to attend as many swim meets as possible just to spend time with her. After several years of marriage, Joshua still makes an appearance at all the Championships meets. Now they share a young son, JJ, who makes appearances at swim practice and meets. They are all members of Holy Spirit Episcopal church and actively give back to their community.

Favorite Stroke(s): Freestyle and Butterfly

Coaching experience:
*Head Coach- San Antonio Wave 2022- Present
*Assistant Coach- San Antonio Splash Summer League Team 2017-Present
*Assistant Coach- TMI– The Episcopal School of Texas Upper School 2016-Present
*Head Coach- TMI– The Episcopal School of Texas Middle School 2016-2021
*Assistant Coach- San Antonio Wave 2014-2022
*Head Coach- Hunters Creek Summer League Team 2014
*Assistant Coach- Tuloso-Midway Summer League Team 2009-2012

Travel Team Coaching:
*2020 USA Swimming National Diversity Camp Assistant Manager - Olympic Training Center
*2018 STX Select Camp Coach
*2018 STX Zone Team Coach
*2016 Open Water Festival Coach

Personal Swimming Experiences:

*Tuloso-Midway HS Corpus Christi, TX
*Bays Edge Aquatic Team (BEAT)
*University of the Incarnate Word

Personal Swimming accomplishments:
*HS All South Texas Team
*HS All Regional Team
*HS All State Team
*Collegiate Conference Team
*Collegiate Travel Team

Education/ Certifications:
*DEI South Texas Board Member 2021-Present
*University of the Incarnate Word
*Bachelor of Science in Biology
*ASCA Level 1, 2, & 3 Certified
*American Red Cross certified in CPR, First Aid, and Coaches Safety Training

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck:
Spending time with my husband of three years, two small dogs, and our adorable son. You can catch us watching sports, especially the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys! If we are not watching sports, then we outside running, hiking, and playing sports.

Favorite Quote(s):
“No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.” -P.T. Barnum
“I literally had one goal tonight, and that was to have fun, and I did that. I’m not happy with the time or the place, but I’m happy that I had fun, and that’s literally all that mattered.” — Elizabeth Beisel

Goals or things that sum up what it is for you to be a coach:

Real relationships drive real motivation. If you don’t take the time to get to know the swimmers you coach, how can you know the best, most effective ways to teach, lead, and motivate them?

Coach Kelly is in her 8th season with the Wave.  She grew up near Erie, PA, but has called SA home for 10 years with Rick, her husband retiring from the Air Force in 2017.  She began competitive swimming when she was 8 years old with the YMCA. She began teaching swim lessons in her early teens and developed a love for stroke technique through years of attending and working at swim camps. She had exceptional examples in coaches who taught, encouraged, and fueled her desire to coach.  Kelly has coached 10 & under age groups for Chartiers Valley Swim Club in Pittsburgh PA, Eifel Sharks in Germany and Elmendorf Penguins in Alaska. She is very excited to continue focusing on the Developmental program, while assisting Age Group Coaches to train and encourage all young swimmers to enjoy their sport and take it as far as they can. She is also excited to be part of developing a swim lesson program for Wave. 

Favorite Stroke(s): Butterfly and Distance Freestyle

Coaching experience:
*Chartiers Valley Swim Club, Sewickley PA
*Suisun City CA YMCA (swim instructor)
*Eifel Sharks Swim Team,
*Elmendorf Penguins Swim Team
*Great Hearts Middle School/HS Assistant Coach
****HS district Champs Boys/Girls
****HS Girls Regional Champs
****HS State Qualifiers

Personal Swimming Experiences:
*Corry Area High School, PA (4 years)
*Corry Pennsylvania YMCA (10 years)
*Grove City College (4 year letter) 

Personal Swimming accomplishments:
*Presidential Athletic  Conference (PAC) Championship 1991 MVP award
*Top Ten record holder Corry YMCA/ Corry HS
*HS District qualifier, District 10 Championship Team
*District/State YMCA repeat qualifier
*Presidential Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Team 1991:1993, GCC Team Captain

Education:
*Corry Area Jr/Sr High School, Corry PA
*Grove City College, Grove City,  PA - BA Elementary Education 

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck:
Time with my Husband Rick m.1993, Daughters: Emily, Lizzy, Natalie, & Holly.  Walking the dogs, traveling, going to estate sales.

Favorite Quote(s):
"One of the keys to success is the discipline to do the things you should even when you don’t feel like it"   - unknown
"Small disciplines repeated with  consistency  every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time."  - John C. Maxwell.
"No man drowns if he perseveres in praying to God and can swim."  - Russian Proverb

Goals or things that sum up what it is for you to be a coach?
I have enjoyed teaching and coaching swimmers for over 30 years.  Watching young swimmers improve technique, competitive skills and gain the confidence to reach their goals over time is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.  I hope to help swimmers along the way to reach their goals and use this fantastic sport to learn the value of hard work, perseverance, sportsmanship, and the fun of being part of something bigger than themselves.

Favorite Stroke(s): Butterfly

Coaching Experience:
* Harmony Hills Cabana Club– Assistant Coach
* Intern Assistant Coach (2020-2021)
* Volunteer Assistant Coach (2016-2021)

Personal Swimming Experience:
* Lee Highschool (4 years)
* HHCC– Summer League (13 years)
* Streamline Aquatics

Personal Swimming Accomplishments:
Academic All State– 1st Team
Swimmer of the Year– HHCC
Team Captain– 2x

Education:
Rehab Science– Pre-Physical Therapy Major at UIW

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck:
An ideal day not on deck includes spending time with my family and friends, a trip to lululemon and a
Chick-fil-A run.

Favorite Quote(s):
“Today’s practice can make the difference between achieving your goal or falling short” (Nathan Adrian).

Coach Kellie better known as 'Coach K' is in her 2nd season with Wave.  She began her swimming career at a local summer swim league as middle schooler, having moved to San Antonio and left her dance shoes behind and picked up a pair of goggles and a swim cap.  She progressed into club swimming and learned more technical aspects of swimming like what short course and what long course was.  From there she moved into high school swimming while doing club swimming along with learning the sport of waterpolo.  Once college happened she focused on her studies in Hospitality Management earning her degree from The University of North Texas.

Favorite Stroke(s): Breaststroke and IM (Individual Medley)

Coaching Experience:
* Private Swim Instructor 2010-Present
* San Antonio Wave 2021-Present

Personal Swimming Experience:
* AAAA 2001-2010
* O'Connor High School Waterpolo 4 years
* O'Connor High School 4 years

One of many Favorite Quotes:
Be the person that not only inspires yourself, but others as well. - unknown

I’m originally from Ukraine. Moved to USA 10 years ago. I worked as swim coach for 29 years there. And I wanted to coach here. Since I came to USA I provided private swim lessons to beginners, helped to improve technic and prepared to swim meets experienced swimmers.

Education:
Ukrainian Swimming Federation
Kremenchuk, Ukraine
International Swim Coaches Seminar
Courses of Improvement of Qualification
Graduated: Nov 7, 2006

Republican Correspondence Courses of Foreign Languages
Kyiv, Ukraine
English Language
Graduated: Sep 7, 1983

Ternopil  Harlan State Pedagogical Institute
Ternopil, Ukraine
The Diploma with Honor
Bachelor of Science of Physical Education
Graduated: Jun 25, 1983

Ternopil High School # 3 (With profound studying of English Language)
Ternopil, Ukraine
The Certificate with Honor
Graduated: Jun 26, 1979

Skills:
Proficient in Ukrainian, Russian, English
Excellent Communication Skills: Teamwork, Leadership, Sociable, Affable etc.
Special Skills: Swimming, Therapeutic Physical Culture and Monitoring, Sports Massage
Valid Swim Coach Certification, CPR.

Experience:
Contractor Swim Instructor at Barshop Jewish Community Center (May 2018 to Present)
Head Swim Coach – Ternopil Children and Youthful Sports School # 2, Ostrozkogo 16, Ternopil 46001, Ukraine (Sep 2, 1997 –Sep1,2012)
Swim Coach - Ternopil Children and Youthful Sports School “Spartak” (Feb 1, 2005 -May1,2012)
Swim Coach  – Ternopil Society “Dynamo” (Jan 2, 2003 – Dec 31, 2007)
Head Swim Coach  – Ternopil National Economic University (Dec 1, 2001 – Jun 1, 2008)

Awards:
Department of Education of Ternopil State Government – For dedicated work in the educational branch and productive work (Sep 15, 2010)
The Diploma of Ternopil City Government – For significant contribution to the development of physical culture and sport, professionalism and dedicated work (Sep 13, 2008)
The Diploma of Ternopil City Government – For significant contribution to the development of physical culture and sport, professionalism and dedicated work (Sep 9, 2006)
The Diploma of Department of Education of Ternopil State Government – The Best Coach among Sports Schools (Feb 13, 2003)
Thanks Note of Major of Ternopil – For dedicated work and active participation in public life of the city (May 2002)
The Diploma of Department of Education of Ternopil State Government – The Best Children Coach 2001 (Feb 12, 2002)
The Diploma of Ternopil City Government – For creative achievements in training and education of young citizens of Ukraine (Oct 1999)
The Diploma of Department of Education of Ternopil Government – For significant contributions to the program of development of physical culture and sports of Ternopil city (Sep 1999)

Favorite strokes: Distance Freestyle and Backstroke

Coaching experience: San Antonio Wave, First time Coach! 

Personal Swimming Experience: 
* James Madison High School Varsity Swim Team

* Alamo Area Aquatics 

* Cheyenne Mountain Aquatics 

* Rocky Mountain Rapids

Personal Swimming Accomplishments: 

* Varsity high school swim team captain Junior and Senior Year 

Education: 

* James Madison High School 

* University of Texas at San Antonio 

* Texas State University

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck: 

I enjoy Working out! strength and conditioning training mostly. I also enjoy painting and drawing when i can. 

Quote: “the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” - Rafiki, The Lion King 

Goals or things that sum up what it is for you to be a coach: 

I love helping people discover their strength and im building my life and career around finding ways to do it! 

Favorite Strokes: Freestyle and Breaststroke

Coaching Experience:
Technique Tuneups/Swim Workshop @ Alamo Heights Natatorium, Fall 2021-current
Sonterra Summer Swim League, 2022
Hidden Forest Summer Swim League, 2023-2024

Personal Swimming Experience:
Carlmont High School Swim Team, 1992-1996

Education:
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, Minor in Psychology and Bachelors of Science in Microbiology (1996-2001)
Trinity University, Master in the Arts of Teaching (2010)

Things I enjoy when not on the pool deck:
Spending time with my two daughters and my husband, exploring new cities, and taking day trips to parks in and around San Antonio. I also enjoy yoga, reading, and improving on my own swim technique.

Favorite Quote(s):
“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh
“With great power comes great responsibility.” - Uncle Ben to Peter Parker (Spiderman)
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our ability.” - Professor Dumbledore to Harry Potter

Favorite Stroke(s): side stroke,  Freestyle; Fly ( w/ fins), breast, elementary back, Combat side stroke, trudgeon, Backstroke…in that order if I am swimming it….Fly fly fly if we are talking about the kids

Personal Swimming Experiences:
My family loves water, we drove 8 hours to my grandparents to go water skiing almost every weekend from Mid may, to Mid september in Indiana. I never chose to compete in swimming but I love the water.

My coaching career began in Northern Kentucky, where I took over a recreational YMCA team and spent two years successfully building the program's structure and schedule. This effort resulted in a successful transition for the team into competitive swimming, exposing me to the sport's true competitive demands under the tutelage of the ABLY staff.

After a brief return to teaching, I resumed coaching in Southern Missouri, gaining experience with the Castaways club and expanding my skill set as the High School Dive Coach for the Jackson Indians.

The next pivotal phase occurred in Southern Indiana with the Castle Hills Sea Creatures. The team’s leadership, which included a professional swimmer with strong ties to the Indiana University (IU) swimming program, provided invaluable exposure to high-caliber athletes and training methodologies. Working alongside numerous IU alumni coaches solidified my understanding of elite-level technique and aerobic training.

Relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, I returned to the YMCA, focusing on program development by successfully building their summer league program and establishing a dedicated swim team development program, creating a robust pipeline for young swimmers.

My journey culminated in Wisconsin, where I served as an Age Group Coach for the YMCA for two years. Applying the knowledge and skills accumulated across recreational, developmental, and elite programs, I achieved significant competitive success, qualifying more athletes to the State level than the team had in its previous history.

Education:
*Where did (do) you study Illinois State University
*What did (do) you study: Philosophy

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck: Hang with my wife and explore the food scene, chilling  with my cats, Read, think about the next practice, play computer games. 

Favorite Quote(s): Consistency Matters

Goals or things that sum up what it is for you to be a coach? 

My greatest joy as a coach is sharing my profound love for the water with every athlete, hoping to ignite the same passion in them. I embrace the competitive side of swimming, but I believe the true beauty of the sport lies in its technical execution and the scientific process of physical development.

Swimming is an art form to me—a perfectly executed freestyle, a powerful butterfly, and even a correctly performed breaststroke are magnificent to watch. I am fascinated by the science of swimming and the endless nuances of technique. Because there is no single 'right answer' in optimizing movement, coaching becomes a dynamic exploration of physical development, allowing me to find a personalized path for every individual athlete.

Favorite Stroke(s): Freestyle and Butterfly

Coaching experience: 
Finesilver Summer League 2021-2023 
Woodridge Summer League 2024 

Personal Swimming Experiences:
*High School: John Marshall High School Swim Team (2016-2020) 
*Club: SA Wave 
*College: University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunner Swimming Club (2022-2024)

Personal Swimming accomplishments: 
SouthEastern Swim Championship Finalist 
Southern Premier Finalist
Futures Qualifier and Finalist
Junior National Swimmer
Mountain West Swimmer of the year 2019
Mountain West Conference Qualifier and Finalist (2019 & 2020)
Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Qualifier and Finalist (2021-2022)
Mountain Pacific Sports Conference Qualifier and Finalist (2023)

Education: University of Texas at San Antonio, Bachelor’s in Kinesiology 

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck: I enjoy finding a new book to read, a new craft to put together, working out and being outside 

Favorite Quote(s): “Nothing must happen to you. No, what am I saying, everything must happen to you, and it must be wonderful” 

Favorite Stroke(s): IM and Breaststroke

Coaching experience: This past summer I completed my third year as a summer league coach at Harmony Hills Cabana Club!

Personal Swimming Experiences:
*High School: Four-year varsity member of the Churchill High School swim team
*Summer league: Harmony Hills Cabana Club (13 years)
*Club: Swam with AAAA Swim Club for five years.

Awards / recognition / records set
-Two-year varsity team captain
-Four-year district qualifier
-Varsity letterman
-TISCA qualifier
-First Team Academic All-State

Education:  
*Where did (do) you study: Trinity University
*What did (do) you study: HR Management Major with an Education Minor

Things I enjoy when not on the pool deck 
-Grabbing coffee with friends
-Going on walks
-Playing with my cat
-Spending quality time with my family

Favorite Quote(s):  ‘Never, never, never give up.’ – Winston Churchill

Favorite Stroke(s): Freestyle and Breaststroke

Coaching experience: City of Edinburg TAAF Swim Team

Personal Swimming Experiences:
City of Edinburg TAAF Swim Team (2015-2022)
Edinburg High School Varsity Swim Team (2019-2023)

Personal Swimming accomplishments:
Edinburg High School 400 yd Freestyle Relay School Record
Edinburg High School 200 yd Freestyle Relay School Record

Education:
Edinburg High School (2019-2023)
University of Texas at San Antonio (2023-Present)

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck: Working out and spending time with friends and family.

Favorite Quote(s):

“How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.” — Yvon Chouinard

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team” — Phil Jackson

I am a firm believer that if each member of the team can push each other to be the best that they can be, they will be the best that they can be! A strong work ethic, combined with commitment and consistency, is the perfect combination for anyone to reach any goal.

NAME: Brian Schuster

Favorite Stroke(s): Butterfly

Coaching experience: This is my first year coaching, and I am very excited to be learning so much.

Personal Swimming Experiences:
*High School: Winston Churchill High School Swim Team
*Club: San Antonio Wave

Education:  
*Where did (do) you study: St. Edward’s University
*What did (do) you study: I studied Behavioral Neuroscience and Kinesiology, and I am taking classes to get to physical therapy school

Things I enjoy, when not on the pool deck
Gardening, nature, time with family, reading, lifting weights, swimming, movies

Favorite Quote(s): 
“The more I learn, the less I know.”
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” - Albert Einstein 
“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you are right.”