Coach Jess is a lifelong swimmer, part-time mermaid, part-time singer, and full-time mama of two. She swam Division I for four years at Columbia University, earning All-Ivy honors and setting the University record in the 50 Free — a record later broken by Olympian Katie Meili. In high school, she was the Virginia State Champion in the 50 Freestyle, and a Senior National qualifier in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Backstroke events.

Jess has been teaching swimming since she first volunteered as a junior coach at 14 and loves helping kids feel safe, confident, and happy in the water. She’s thrilled to build a fun, supportive team community right here in Pflugerville, where she and her husband, Coach Michael, have raised their family for nearly a decade. When she’s not on the pool deck or singing at a wedding, she’s probably at a yoga class or reading a mystery novel.

Coach Michael is the Head Coach of Pflamingo Swimming and a lifelong swimmer who competed for Columbia University, where he was an Ivy League Championship finalist and Junior National qualifier in freestyle and breaststroke. He began coaching in 1999 and has since led swimmers of all ages as an aquatics director, swim school principal, and instructor trainer in New York City, and later as a coach for the Manhattan Makos, the Race Club in Florida, Chico AquaJets in California, and Longhorn Aquatics here in Texas. Michael is also a seasoned public address announcer for major swimming events, including multiple U.S. Nationals, Olympic Team Trials, World Championships, and the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.

Known for his technical eye, patient teaching style, and love for the sport, Coach Michael enjoys helping kids build confidence and strong fundamentals while developing character in and out of the water. He and his wife, Coach Jess, have called Pflugerville home for nearly ten years, where they share their love of swimming with their children, Lincoln and Callie — and when he’s not at the pool or announcing, you can usually find him playing Zelda with his kids.