MACR Sharks Coaching Staff

Melissa Miller - Assistant Coach

Jim Herman - Assistant Coach

Stephanie Ball - Assistant Coach

Dale Schirmer - Assistant Coach

Paul Brown

Brown@crmetroymca.org

Paul has been involved in competitive swimming for more than 40 years. As a youth he swam competitively in Ohio, Virginia, and California. He swam for high schools in both Virginia and California. After being away from the sport for a few years, he became involved with the masters swimming team in Cedar Rapids. He became Head Coach of the MACR Sharks in the fall of 1999. His goal is to not only help YMCA swimmers reach their potential in the water, but to also help YMCA swimmers become responsible and positive people in every aspect of their lives.

Favorite coaching quote: “The three most important elements to good swimming are technique, technique, and technique.”

Donald Pirrie

dpirrie@tanagerplace.org

Originally from Scotland, Donald has been involved in coaching for over 17 years. His coaching background includes working as a development coach for grassroots, club, national, and international level swimmers. Donald coached and directed 2 national programs in the UK specifically targeting the country's most promising swimmers and advancing the skills of the coaches involved with those swimmers. Donald has been involved with the MACR Sharks for 9 years and loves every minute of working with Sharks swimmers. Most recently Donald joined the Iowa YMCA Swimming Executive Committee and hopes to be able to contribute to making YMCA Swimming in the State of Iowa even better that it already is.

Favorite coaching quote: “Good or bad, Practice makes permanent”

Jason Bleadorn

Jason has been involved with the MACR Sharks for many years. After learning to swim at age 5 he joined the Sharks and competed with the team until age 12. Jason moved on to swim for CRAA for 5 years, then with Washington High School. His college swimming career included team and private club swimming at various invitational meets throughout the state. After a successful college swimming career Jason was invited to train in Utah for the US Olympic Trials at which point he injured his knee. After removing himself from swimming for several years he decided to get back into swimming by teaching lessons. After a year of teaching lessons he became involved with the MACR Sharks as an assistant coach.

Jasons favorite qoute: "Just shut up and swim!"