Chris French
Coach
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Chris has been coaching
since 2004. He was a late starter in swimming - not really starting
until the age of 12 (and only then so that his younger brother
wouldn’t beat him) but training more on than off ever since.
During this time he competed at both the school and club national
championships in England. Swimming then took a back seat at
university as Chris managed to choose one of the few colleges in
England without a pool. However, once he graduated, he got straight
back in the water and resumed the twice daily training regime he
had enjoyed so much in his teens. All this was good preparation for
the early mornings required to coach for the FINS. He has now been
competing in masters competitions for almost twenty years.
Summers mean open water swimming and preferably in cold water
– Chris hates anything over 78 degrees. He still harbors the
ambition of swimming the English Channel before hanging up his
goggles but that has taken a back seat to coaching which he finds
incredibly rewarding, especially as it allows him to be a big kid
all over again. Chris believes that swimming should be fun and
that, if it is seen as such, kids will be more likely to either
continue with it or come back to it later in life.
A firm believer that breaststroke should be eliminated from all
swimming, Chris nonetheless endeavors to teach it through the "do
as I say not as I do" technique. Many people find Chris hard to
understand, including his mother and even himself when he is tired.
Don’t be afraid to ask him to slow down and say
whateveritwashejustsaidagainplease!
Karla Black
Coach
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Karla is a certified Level 4
Coach with the ASCA and a member of NISCA (National Interscholastic
Swimming Coaches Association. Karla has been coaching with
the FINS for 6 years, and starting her third year as the Head
Coach. She has also coached Souhegan High School and currently
coaches Bishop Guertin‘s Swim Team. Karla has attended swim
clinics at Dartmouth College, Harvard and Total
Immersion.
Additionally Karla swims for
New England Masters and continues to compete in local and National
and International competition. Karla holds several New England
Masters records and has been in the USMS National Top 10. In 2005
Karla was a member of a relay team that broke the Female FINA world
record in the 200 meter free relay in the 200+ age group.
Karla’s background includes Head Coach positions at Nashua
YMCA in 1998 and prior to that Head Coach for the Ft. Hood
Dolphins, (TX) Ft. Eustis Wheels (VA) and Ft. Rucker Frogs
(AL).
Karla started swimming competitively at the age of 5 and continued
through her college years at UC Berkeley and swam at Collegiate
Nationals 3 of the 4 years. While at Cal she was a member of the
Prytanean Society, Panile and Women’s C Society which
recognize academic and athletic achievement. Also in her Senior
year at Cal and swimming for Head Coach Nort Thornton, Karla
received the All Californian award for athletic achievement.
Swimming teaches us much about life; you get out of it what you put
into it.
Laura Gautier
Coach
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Laura brings a lot of
enthusiasm and energy to our team. Her background in swimming
includes five years with the Nashua YMCA, and eight years with the
Amherst Swim Club. She won many awards in her swim career,
including the GSSA Division II 100 yard backstroke and 100-yard
breaststroke in 1982. She was 1981 - 1982 recipient of the
Nashua YMCA 3D Award Desire, Determination and Dedication.
Laura coached the Jasper Valley Swim Team in 1985. She was
assistant coach for Nashua YMCA from 1983 through 1985, then she
took some time off to add to the swimming population (3 terrific
swimmers). Laura became Nashua Country Club’s Pool
Director in 2002.
Laura holds a degree as a
Medical Assistant, and has worked in the medical field. She
is currently going to night school to obtain a degree in Social
Science and is an educator in special education.
Kevin Hunt
Coach
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Born:
Bangor, ME
High School: Milford Area Sr. High
College: Indiana University and University of
South Carolina
Swimming
Background: Nautilus Swim Club Me. (2 yrs.), Lowell
Boys Club (3 yrs), Nashua YMCA (3 yrs), New England Barracudas (1
yr), Bernal’s Gators (2 summers), Industry Hills Swim Club in
California (1 summer), Indiana University (1 yr.), Univ. of So.
Carolina (3 yrs.), Granite State Penguins Masters (2 yrs.).
As we can all see Kevin has had a great deal of experience
being a member of a competitive swim team. He was a New England
Champion in the 100 yd. Breaststroke in 1982 & 83 and placed
3rd in the Metro Conference for the same event in 1985. In 2002
Kevin had a top ten nationally ranked time for the 200 SCM
Breaststroke. He placed 13th and 16th at the 2003 US Masters SCY
Championships in the 200 yd and 100 yd Breaststrokes respectively.
Kevin coached Milford High School for 1 year and Souhegan High
School for 2 years and has been here with us in Nashua for the past
8 years. Kevin says: " Swimming has been the most important single
contributor to my success today. It develops self-awareness,
confidence and self-discipline. It teaches one how to set goals and
learn what it takes to achieve them. Swimming is unique sport in
that it is a very individual sport, and it also offers the
opportunity to learn the responsibilities and enjoyment of being a
member of a team. It gives young people a better opportunity to
obtain the necessary tools to be successful in what ever they
strive to do in life
