Kelli Saunders
Staff Writer
Mira Costa’s new swim program head coach Ali Isham is making a splash on the team’s training for their season.
Isham was hired when former head coach and counselor Eliza Santarosa went on maternity leave, and assistant coach Lauren Meyers quit unexpectedly two months ago. Isham started coaching zero period swim PE at the beginning of November and will be the head coach for the boys and girls swim team in season.
“The administration, the parents, and the kids have been so welcoming and helpful within these first few transition weeks,” Isham said. “We are all excited to do well this season.”
Isham was the assistant coach at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School prior to coaching at Costa. She grew up swimming and was on the swim team at University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. She has also had experience with coaching club for seven years and is currently a coach at Beach Cities Swimming.
Click here to find out more about Beach Cities Swim
“I have a lot of experience coaching and came from a very successful swim program at Peninsula,” Isham said. “I have seen what works and what doesn’t work and will use that knowledge to benefit this team.”
Isham has implemented a more rigorous workout routine to make sure that each 45 minute session in the pool is exhaustive yet instructional. She focuses more on speed by incorporating sprints in the pool and has the swimmers work on their fundamentals and techniques.
“With our new coach I feel like I am getting more out of our workouts and I feel better afterward because they are harder,” senior varsity captain Emma Nerad said. “However, we don’t have as much time as we did before to be social during practices.”
Similar to past years, this year’s tryout will require swimmers to complete a 100 or 200 meter freestyle and a stroke of their choice. The teams will be decided based on the time these events can be completed in.
“I’m looking forward to my last season and seeing what events I will be competing in,” Nerad said. “I’m not super nervous because I know everything will work out for the best.”
For swim there is a combined freshmen and sophomore level, junior varsity, junior varsity B, and varsity levels. There are five assistant coaches that help out with the various levels, however Isham oversees all of the levels for swim. The practices will also be at different times so their training schedules do not overlap.
“I’m so lucky that I’ve gotten the chance to be on a competitive varsity team while I’ve been here at costa,” Nerad said. “I wouldn’t trade the memories that I’ve made with my friends during practices and meets for anything.”
Last year Costa’s girls varsity team won Bay League putting Peninsula in second place. This year, Isham hopes to carry on this tradition and take the title of Bay League Champions and place in the top eight at CIF.
Click here to find out more about Isham
“I am super excited to see what we are able to accomplish together this season,” Isham said. “There is a lot of talent on this team so hopefully my knowledge and experience put together with their talent will help us achieve our goals.”
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