HEAD COACH

Since Coach Ed took over as Head Coach in 1993, LEHY has been recognized as a top competitive YMCA and USA swim team in the state. He began his coaching career as a parent coach for the team when his daughter showed an interest in the sport of swimming. Since becoming head coach the number of swimmers has grown from 40 to 120, with some of the top swimmers in the state. His expertise in stroke technique and development of age group swimmers prepares children to compete at his/her highest ability. Multiple times Coach Ed has helped the team to finish among the top three teams in the state at Age Group Championships. He has coached swimmers who have gone on to achieve National Top 16 times (swimmers who have placed nationally within his/her age group), YMCA National Top 16 times, and qualify for the CT Zone Team.  

In 2019, Coach Ed was name the YMCA Swimming and Diving National Coach of the Year and in 2000 he was named CT Age Group Coach of the Year.

Coach Ed continues to enjoy working with youth and brings over thirty years of teaching experience onto the pool deck.

Kaeley has been coaching with LEHY since 1997 and is an ASCA Level 3 certified coach. She began with 8&unders and has moved through the team to work with all the different age groups. She is currently the Head Senior Coach for the club. In her time with LEHY she has had swimmers rank on the National Top 16 list, and rank on the YMCA National Top 16. She has had swimmers qualify for and place at spring and summer YMCA National and Speedo Sectionals. She has also coach swimmers to Junior National qualifying times.

Multiple swimmers have been named as Academic All-Americans, and as CT Scholar Athletes. Prior to coaching for LEHY she attended St. Michael's College where she held records in swimming over her four years. Kaeley is also an alumnus of LEHY. She began her swimming career with the club when she was seven and swam with the club through her senior year in college. She is thrilled to give back to the club that she feels gave her so much.  Outside the club, Kaeley is a school counselor at DePaolo Middle School in Southington, CT.  This allows her to help her swimmers with the college process as they prepare to graduate high school.

Maura begin her USA Swimming career with LEHY as a 10 and under swimmer.  After receiving her degree from UCONN, where she swam for the UCONN Club Team, she returns to LEHY as a coach.  She is currently receiving her master's degree in nutrition from the University of St. Joseph's in nutrition, and is a welcomed addition to the LEHY coaching staff.  She brings a knowledge of helping to create the "whole" swimmer and we are lucky to have her back!

Sydney is the lastest in a long line of LEHY alum who have returned to East Hartford and coach the team they grew up with.  Sydney graduated from Iona University in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  While at Iona, she was a four year member of the Women's Swim Team where she represented the team at MAAC Conference Championships placing in the 200 fly and distance freestyle.  She is currently working towards a degree in nursing and we are so happy to her added to the LEHY coaching staff.

Anthony is a LEHY alum who began swimming as part of our developmental program.  With hard work, he accomplished SC and LC YMCA National time standards and went on to swim colligately at Wheaton College.  He brings a wealth of technical knowledge about swimming and the LEHY program.

Jen returns to LEHY as a parent and a coach.  She is committed to working with our 8 and under group, helping our youngest swimmers learn great technique and develop a passion for the sport of swimming.

LEHY Alum, Laura McLaughlin, has been helping out in all areas of coaching for LEHY since her own children joined the team.  She swam with LEHY until going off to college, where she swam for the SCSU Owls.  She has been coach for many years, and has a lot of technical knowledge.  Not only does she coach with LEHY, but she is a high school coach.  LEHY is lucky to have her experience.

Kait began coaching in 2005 with the Berlin Dolphins. She coached with them until 2009 when she joined Carnival Cruise Lines as a Youth Director.  Missing the pool deck, she returned to   coaching in 2011 as the Head Coach of the Wallingford Family YMCA Dolphins.  She coached with Wallingford until 2014, coaching the CT Eastern Zone team multiple times, until leaving to pursue her graduate degree in Physical Education and Advanced Level Coaching. This led her to Chapel Hill, NC working with the UNC Swim Team during their 2014 summer training and running multiple swim camps.  She returned back to Connecticut to finish her graduate thesis and volunteered for Wesleyan University Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Team from the fall 2014 until the completion of the 2016 swim season. During this time, she also joined the Cheshire YMCA swim team coaching staff. Working with Sean Farrell, Kait oversaw the training of multiple YMCA National Championship qualifiers as well as three 2016 Olympic Trial qualifiers. After relocating to Windsor, CT with her fiancé; she joined the Charter Oak Aquatic Club coaching staff as an assistant coach, working with 12 and under athletes for three years as the Head Age Group coach. Looking to continue to learn and challenge herself in different roles Kait is excited to join the LEHY Swim Team Coaching Staff and work closely with the families and athletes that make LEHY one of the most recognizable teams in the state!