John Shannon Royster
Coach
Shannon Royster – Assistant Coach, NOVA South
Shannon Royster has been an assistant coach with NOVA South since 2009, bringing a wealth of experience, leadership, and passion to our team. His swimming journey began at age 8 with the Tritons of Petersburg, which later became VACS. As a young swimmer, he found early success—winning multiple events at the Virginia Junior Olympics and representing the Virginia All-Star team at Zones in Buffalo, NY.
A true multi-sport athlete, Shannon balanced swimming with football and basketball throughout high school before going on to swim at the collegiate level for Longwood University. There, he served as team captain for three years and demonstrated a natural talent for leadership. He graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in History, following in the footsteps of his family as a fourth-generation educator.
Returning to his hometown of Hopewell, Shannon taught 8th-grade civics at Carter G. Woodson Middle School for six years before becoming the assistant principal in 2005 and then principal in 2009. His passion for working with youth extended into athletics, where he founded the school’s sports program and led the basketball team to three consecutive championship titles, amassing an incredible record of 69 wins and just 3 losses. From 1999 to 2009, Shannon also served as a varsity football coach at Hopewell High School, playing a key role as passing coordinator for the 2003 State Championship team.
In addition to his work at NOVA South, Shannon has coached at the Swim and Yacht Club (SYC) Barracudas in Colonial Heights since 2002. He became head coach in 2008, and under his leadership, the team has captured five Southside League regular season and Championship meet titles.
At NOVA South, Shannon plays a key role in supporting dryland training, in-water practices, and weightlifting sessions across multiple training groups. His enthusiasm, versatility, and deep coaching experience make him an invaluable part of our staff. Shannon’s love for sports, education, and mentorship continues to make a lasting impact on our swimmers and team culture.
