coaches and staff
Kevin coulman
Head Coach and Bronze Squad Coach
Email: head_coach@calgarypatriots.com
Kevin Coulman returns for his 17th season with the Calgary Patriots Swim Club, once again providing his leadership as the organization's Head Coach as well as his role as the Gold Squad coach.
Kevin has been coaching in Canada for 24 years. Starting in 1999 he joined the Saskatoon Goldfins Swim Club where he worked with athletes ranging from developmental to national level swimmers. Following his successful 10 years with the Goldfins, Kevin became the Head Coach of the Campbell River Killer Whales which he led until eventually joining the Patriots in 2010. With the Patriots, Kevin has helped numerous swimmers swim with the top universities in the country.
Kevin is a former competitive swimmer and track athlete himself - having, in his youth, pursued both sports at a high level. Kevin has a degree in Kinesiology from the U of S and is a Level Three Certified Coach. He continues to look forward to bringing his knowledge and enthusiasm to the pool everyday.
A long-time pillar of the Calgary Patriots, Chad has had the pleasure of watching the team grow over the last decade and is excited to join us once again for his 13th season.
Chad also works with the Calgary P-Too program where he is a Lead Coach and a Master Evaluator with the I Can Swim Program. Chad was involved in Alberta Summer Swimming where he spent eight seasons working with The Calgary Tritons as a group lead and eventually as their head coach. Chad has spent 9 years with Calgary Masters Swim Club where he has taken on a leadership position in the teams coaching organization.
Chad is a certified level two coach and is working towards completing his NCCP Swimming 301 certification. Chad has over 20 years of experience in swimming as either a coach or a competitive swimmer and hopes to instill his love of the sport in the swimmers.
Marit Anderson returns for her 3rd year with the Calgary Patriots as the Silver Squad coach.
Marit swam with the Patriots for 7 years and attended many national level meets. She also swam internationally in open-water competitions as part of a Swimming Canada team which included a second-place finish in the 2018 prestigious Midmar Mile. Following her success with the Patriots, she then went on to swim with the University of Calgary and represented Canada at FISU World University Games in 2019. Marit is a multiple 1st and 2nd Team All-Canadian as well as a multiple National, U-Sports, and Trials medalist, specializing in mid-distance and distance freestyle. She was a team captain for U of C from 2020 to 2024 and under her leadership, the women’s team won their first CanWest Championship since 2008.
Marit graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology as a 3 time Academic All-Canadian. Marit has completed her NCCP Swimming 201 certification and is currently working towards completing her 301. She hopes to pass on her knowledge of growing up within the Calgary Patriots and being a high-performance athlete while emphasizing mental health, proper training and performance habits, and overall longevity in the sport.
A Calgary native, Brent has coached or been involved in swimming for his entire life. Brent swam for more than 10 years with the Calgary Swordfish Summer Swim team before rejoining the team years later as one of its Sr. group Lead Coaches where he has remained for the last nine seasons. In summer swimming, Brent has coached numerous record holders and provincial medalists.
Previously Brent was the Head Coach of the University of Alberta Masters Swim Club which he started up himself in 2016 and ran for two seasons. Under his leadership the team won small team at master’s provincials in 2017.
Brent is still a Masters swimmer to this day and enjoys a love for the sport as an athlete as well as a coach. Outside of the pool Brent is happily married to his wife Megan of 8 years and works as a civil engineer.
Brent is continues to bring his enthusiasm and technical knowledge of swimming to the Calgary Patriots.
Alex has returned for her 4th year coaching with Patriots, and her 3rd year coaching White Squad.
Alex has a history of swimming within the Calgary Patriots, along with the Calgary P-Too program in which she also has been coaching for over 5 years. Alex is currently attending University of Calgary to become an elementary teacher due to her passion of learning and working with children.
Alex’s philosophy is built around creating a fun introduction to competitive swimming and a safe space for children to grow, to not only enjoy the sport, but also enjoy the aspect of teamwork, leadership, friendship, and dedication. With a strong foundation swimmers can build their skills both within the water, and on deck.
Elsie is returning for her 3rd year as a coach, and her 2nd year coaching the White Squad.
She is a former Patriots swimmer who began coaching 3 years ago with the Calgary Swordfish Summer Swim Club and has since continued coaching with the Patriots and the Calgary P-Too program. Elsie enjoys working with children and teaching the next generation, and is looking to pursuing a future career in education.
As a coach, Elsie focuses on pushing swimmers to reach their full potential while keeping practices fun. She values teamwork and strives to create a safe, enjoyable environment where swimmers can form friendships and look forward to coming to practice.
Richie stokes
Silver Squad Coach & Strength and Conditioning Coach
Richie is a member of the Calgary Patriots coaching staff, responsible for leading the team's strength and conditioning program. He grew up in Toronto, winning junior national titles and setting Ontario junior provincial and national age group records during his time spent with Etobicoke Swim Club. Following his age group career, he moved out to Calgary to swim with UofC, becoming the men's team captain for 3 years, helping his men's team win back-to-back conference titles after going over a decade without. Through his time swimming with UofC, his athletic career began to take off, winning multiple relay and individual medals at the USports swimming championships, as well as winning the 2022 Canadian Trials in the men's 200 back, qualifying him to compete for Canada at the 2022 World Swimming Championships. He later graduated with a BEd from UofC and is a certified Personal Trainer.
During the later years of Richie's athletic career, he became fascinated with strength work, which led to him designing dryland programs for himself, to be built specifically for swimming performance, and with the hope to minimize swimming injuries as well.
As Richie moves on from his swimming career, he looks forward to helping the swimmers at Calgary Patriots learn what it takes to reach the highest level of swimming, while still having fun.
ERIN CAMERON
Assistant Coach
With over 20 years of coaching experience, Erin is currently in their third year as an assistant coach with the Patriots, working with both the Gold and Silver squads. Erin’s journey in the world of competitive swimming spans over two decades, having previously coached at the Edmonton Huma Swim Club, Edmonton Keyano Swim Club, University of Alberta Swim Camps, and the Calgary Tritons Swim Club.
Before stepping into coaching, Erin swam competitively for 9 years in a summer club, followed by a year at UVic's varsity program, three years at the University of Alberta, and competing at Canada West and USports for two years. This extensive experience in the water has shaped their coaching philosophy, which focuses on helping athletes become the best version of themselves while having fun and embracing the process.
A passionate coach, Erin is deeply committed to fostering a positive environment for swimmers of all levels and believes that success in the pool goes hand-in-hand with growth, enjoyment, and a strong sense of teamwork.
JULIA PIGOTT
Assistant Coach
Julia returns for her 3rd year as an Assistant Coach with the Calgary Patriots, and her 2nd year working with the Grey Squad.
Julia brings over a decade of swimming experience, having trained with the Calgary Patriots and other clubs throughout her 10-year swimming career. In addition to her work with the Patriots, she is the Head Coach for the Marda Loop Community Association swim program, where she continues to share her enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport.
Currently in the final year of her second degree, Julia is pursuing a career in education, inspired by her passion for working with youth. She strives to foster a positive and motivating environment where swimmers can develop their skills, confidence, and love for the sport.
