MNBB YMCA Coaching Staff
Zach Lewis - Head Coach
Zach joined the swimming world as a swimmer on the Meriden YMCA Seals Swim Team. Zach competed in sprint freestyle events and breaststroke. He swam for Platt High School in Meriden, swimming in Freestyle and Fly. He continued with the Seals until he was 18 years old.
At 18, in 2009 he began assistant coaching for the Seals swim team working with all different age groups and skill levels. Zach took a six month break from coaching while starting a new career in commercial refrigeration following in his father’s footsteps. After getting settled, Zach was called back to the pool deck with the Seals team once again. His mother Cathy Lewis was now the Head Coach, pushing the team in a new direction heading to be more competitive. Over the course of fourteen years Zach has learned from many coaches and uses these experiences to find his own unique style of coaching. One coach he gives credit to for helping him get to the next level of competition is Coach Art Tyler.
Over the last five years, with the support and teamwork of the other MNBBY Seals coaches, we have sent athletes to Eastern Zones, Age Groups, Seniors, Regionals, ISCA East and West Showcase, YMCA Nationals and YMCA New Englands Championships. Many of our athletes have broken pool records for the MNBBY record board. Our Seals athletes have also gone on to high school States and Opens to compete. We have athletes competing from numerous high schools; Maloney and Platt high schools in Meriden, Berlin High school, Wethersfield High School, Mercy High School and Wallingford high schools. Some athletes have broken records on their high school team record boards and some athletes have continued on to collegiate swimming.
As we bring in the 2024 season, Coach Zach has decided to step into the Head Coach position after Coach Preston stepped down to raise his daughter. Coach Zach plans to work diligently to keep growing the team with the support of the entire MNBBY Seals family and coaching staff.
The support Coach Zach has from his wife Alyssa and daughters to continue with his passion for coaching is unmatched. You will often see his wife on deck at home meets helping out, or cheering on the team, while his daughter Audrey (5) is in the pool working on her backstroke. This shows the MNBBY Seals is really a family oriented team.
Coach Zach continues to strive to help young athletes grow and exceed in their goals. There is no end to his passion of being at the pool and he hopes to pass this on to the next generation of swimmers and coaches alike.
Art Tyler - Age Group Coach
Art dove into the world of swimming in '99 as a member of the RI Newport Blues. He competed primarily as a breastroker and IMer and represented Portsmouth HS as founder, record holder, two year captain, and six time All-State athlete.
In '09 he jumped into the world of coaching under Head Coach and mentor Keri Cunningham, where he supervised the developmental program of the RI Rams. Art continued coaching through his college years with the Hamden/North Haven Typhoons. Starting as the 10&U coach in '10, he eventually became the head coach and program director by '12 where he oversaw the team's first CT-SR and AG Zones qualifiers. Under Art's two years as head coach the program saw their first YMCA-NE age group team champions (9-10 girls, 11-12 girls), first CT-AG individual champion, and had an 87% clearance of team record board. The team grew by 280% during his time at the helm.
Following a one year hiatus in '15, Art joined the SCSU coaching staff as a volunteer assistant for the college team and SOCO club Jr coach. Here he progressed to Sr and eventual head coach on the club side. Under his leadership the program guided multiple individual CT-SR, USA Sectional, and USA Futures champions, as well as multiple USA Jr & Sr National qualifiers. The program saw a near 300% growth during his five year tenure and additionally recorded multiple top 10 finishes at CT-SR championships with a peak as a top 5 team in Connecticut.
Art has been part of the Meriden Seal's family since '21 where he has worked primarily with the Sr squad. He started coaching with the motivation of helping kids outside of traditional swimming communities reach the elite levels of the sport, and 15 years later that goal still rings true. You can find him yelling splits or nerding out over technique at Maloney or the Y. Engage at your own risk, when it comes to swimming he'll talk your ear off.
Tyler Prescott - Age Group Coach
I started swimming when I was 11 years old and swam for ten to eleven years, including competing in and winning national competitions when I was in college. After I was done in swimming, I went on to coaching. I grew up in Meriden and swam at Platt. In addition to coaching here at the Meriden-New Britain–Berlin YMCA, I am the head coach for the Meriden Co-op high school swim teams.
I love swimming because it is an interesting and unique sport. I love racing and I have never been a runner so this was my way to race. It really stuck with me. My proudest moment as a swimmer was winning nationals in the 200 backstroke and 400 IM.
As a coach I can apply my knowledge as a swimmer. I can offer a more in depth and competitive look into swimming. I have seen the top level, trained with them, and swam against them. It is a unique and awesome experience.
My proudest moments as a coach have been increasing the number of swimmers in age group qualifiers (getting my old team up to double digits for qualifiers) and seeing my swimmers put my advice into action and drop significant time in their events. I love that moment when a plan or strategy comes together and they drop time. I love to see swimmers happy when they get what they were working for.
My goals as a Seals coach are to increase our age group qualifiers and teach people new things. I want to interest people to stay with swimming long term.
I have two personal mottos, one joking and one serious. First, pain is weakness leaving the body. Second, the key to success is hard work and consistency.
Fun facts about me: My favorite food is Swedish meatballs (family recipe), my favorite sport other than swimming is basketball, I like to draw and paint and my favorite place to visit is Niagara Falls.
Nick Duplessis - Age Group Coach
Years involved in competitive swimming - 12
Proudest moment in swimming, either as a swimmer or coach? – Watching an older swimmer help a younger swimmer improve their stroke.
Favorite aspect of swimming? – Watching someone break their own personal record.
What motivates you? - Determination
Favorite sport other than swimming? - Hockey
If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? – Philly Cheesesteak
Favorite hobby? - Bowling
Favorite place to visit? - Vancouver
Cathy Lewis - Aquatics Director/Swim Coach
