Coaches
Amy Behm - USA Head Coach/SAAA Assistant Coach/JCC Aquatic Director
Born: Albuquerque, NM, raised in Santa Fe, NM
Age started swimming: Age 4 (under protest)
Family: Husband – Herb; Daughter – Katie (18) is a member of New Mexico State University (in Las Cruces, NM) swim team and is studying Animal Science; Son – Herbie (17) attends Catalina Foothills High School and is a member of Tucson FORD Aquatics.
Favorite things: Amy enjoys being with her family, coaching and inspiring others, studying the Bible and being with friends.
Swimming Accomplishments: Throughout Amy’s age group, high school and college swimming career, she set several school, State, Regional (now referred -to as “Zones”) and one Junior National record. She consistently ranked in the top 25 of her age group in several events- including breaststrokes and IM’s. Beginning as a 6&Under, Amy’s first NM state record occurred in the 50m free (while swimming breaststroke) and continued thru her age group career. In 1978 at the AAU Junior National Short Course Championships held in Durham, NC, Amy set a Jr National record in the 200 IM. Because of her performance at this National meet, Amy was invited to train with the US Developmental Swim Team the following summer in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. Here she met George McMillion who was instrumental in recruiting Amy to attend and swim for Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Amy swam for SMU for 2.5 years on a full swimming scholarship and set school records in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and 400 Medley Relay. She received All-American honors as well. Amy qualified for the 1980 Olympic Trials in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. Unfortunately, the United States boycotted this Olympics due to the US protest of the Russians invasion of Afghanistan. The following summer Amy swam for Schroeder YMCA out of Brown Deer, Wisconsin and finished 8th in the 400 IM at the USA Sr National Swimming Championships held in Brown Deer, WI.
From 1998-2007, Amy was Head Coach for St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe, NM. She was named the “2007-2008 New Mexico High School Swim Coach of the Year” and was New Mexico’s National NISCA Representative. Under her leadership, this small private school’s team (750 total enrollment - 7th thru 12th grade) grew from 4 socially oriented swimmers to over 50 disciplined, dedicated, team-oriented swimmers. Numerous school records, three NMHS state records, two HS All-Americans, one NMHS Swimmer of the Year, and one NMHS Coach of the year honors were recorded while Amy was Head coach for a short 9 seasons. Overall team rankings achieved were 3rd place for boys and 5th place for girls in a state where all HS swim teams, regardless of size, competed in one State Championship meet (5A-A). While coaching at St. Michael’s, Amy was an assistant coach at Kirtland Aquatic Club at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM for two years.
Other Accomplishments: Currently, and for the past 22 years, Amy and her husband, Herb, have run Pueblo Bonito Bed & Breakfast Inn in Santa Fe, NM.
Amy joined the Stingrays in January 2008.
Brian Duffield - Interim Head USA Coach
BORN: New Jersey FAMILY: Krista (13) and Andy (10) both TJCC Stingray members. Carolyn his wife and better half. SWIMMING: Years of Summer, Age Group and High School swimming led to 4 years of college swimming at Virginia Tech.
Brian Duffield is a 6 year resident of Tucson but a 30+ year native of swimming. With a swimming career that began at age 7 and continues today with Masters Swimming, Brian’s lifetime passion for swimming and coaching is shared with the team every time he’s on deck. Complimenting his swimming/coaching experience, Brian brings a varied set of skills to the deck from his Fortune 10 business experience in the areas of leadership development, communication skills and goal setting & achievement, all built on a foundation of trust and accountability. With the inherent swimming and coaching background and the management skills from years of business leadership Brian brings a dynamic and enthusiastic approach to the position until the return of Amy.
Michael Lorimer - Head Masters Coach
Born: Toronto, Canada, moved to Tucson at age 10
Age started swimming: Age 12
Favorite things: Michael likes to coach swimming, camp, fish and travel (when he gets the chance!)
Favorite events to swim: 100 Free, 200 Free
Swimming Accomplishments: Michael was on the 1st State championship swim team for Catalina Foothills High School. He broke the 200 Free record while at Foothills. Michael was a member of the Hillenbrand of Tucson (HOT) swim team which later became FORD Aquatics.
Other accomplishments: Michael is a senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Communcations and Business.
Michael joined the Stingrays 4 ½ years ago as an Age Group and Master’s coach.
Kiely Lavery – SAAA Head Coach/ USA Assistant Coach
Born: Houston, TX, raised in Jackson, MS
Age started swimming: Age 10 (year-round swimming)
Favorite things: Kiely likes hiking, yoga, travelling, shopping and hanging out with friends
Favorite events to swim: 100 Free, 200 Free and 100 Breast
Swimming Accomplishments: Kiely swam at the University of Alabama her freshman year. She has been coaching swimming since 1999 varying from Master, Year Around, and Summer League.
Other accomplishments: Kiely transferred to the University of Arizona two years ago and is currently a senior majoring in Nutritional Sciences.
Kiely joined the Stingrays in April 2007.
Coleman Lavery – USA Assistant Coach/ SAAA Assistant Coach
Born: Houston, TX, raised in Jackson, MS. Moved to Tucson at 16.
Age started swimming: Age 7
Favorite things: Coleman enjoys coaching, water polo, basketball (go ‘Cats and Lakers!), surfing, sports in general, and traveling.
Favorite events to swim: 100 Back, 200 IM
**Swimming Coleman was a Varsity Swim Team member for 6 seasons, 2-time member of the State Championship Teams at CFHS, 7-time State Medalist, and Team Captain Senior Year.
Other accomplishments: Coleman is currently a junior at the University of Arizona, pursuing a double major in Accounting and Entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management. He was a member of the University of Arizona Water Polo Team 2007-2008 before returning to swimming as a coach.
Coleman joined the Stingrays in May 2008.
Mindy Grodzki - Head Lifeguard/ USA Assistant Coach
Mindy Grodzki moved to Tucson 6 months ago from the Scottsdale/Tempe area where she has lived for the past 11 years. She is a native Tucsonan and is happy to finally be home. Mindy has over 25 years of Aquatic experience and has a great passion for helping people excel in the Aquatics arena.
She is married to Adam and they have two daughters, Gabi (9) and Leksi (6). She met her husband while they both attended the University of Arizona. Adam is originally from Poland and came to the USA on a swim scholarship for the U of A.
Mindy’s aquatic career started as an age group swimmer at age 11. She was a varsity swimmer and Diver for Salpointe High School. She continued to work in Aquatics in college by coaching recreational swim teams for the City of Tucson and Masters Swimming at the University of Arizona Student Recreation Center. She has taught people to swim from the ages of 6 months to 88 years old including those with special needs. After college, her professional career has always involved aquatics.
She started out her professional career as the Aquatics Director for the Chandler/Gilbert Family YMCA. As the Aquatics Director, she was also the head coach for the swim team for the Chandler YMCA where she remained for 4 years. She was then promoted to the new Copper Basin YMCA where she was the Healthy Lifestyles Director. This new opportunity coupled her Aquatics background with her education in Exercise Physiology. Mindy then was given the promotion to be the Program Director at the Tempe Family YMCA. She oversaw the Teen, Fitness , and Aquatics departments. The Tempe YMCA had a very competitive USA Swim team and she was an integral part of the program. After being with the YMCA organization for 7 years, she accepted a Manager position for the City of Scottsdale. She was the manager for an Aquatics and Fitness Facility. She coached recreation swimming, helped train triathletes with the swim portion of their race on top of managing the fitness, learn to swim and group exercise programs. She worked closely with local High School swim coaches and privately trained many of their athletes.
Mindy is extremely excited about the opportunity to coach for the TJCC Stingrays. She has great passion for looking at each swimmer as an individual and helping them excel in swimming. She knows what success the team has already achieved, but also knows it’s potential to achieve more.
Updated Mar 15 2010