Amanda Ross is Coppell’s new swimming and diving coach. This is her fourth year as a swimming coach and her first year at Coppell, previously teaching in Grand Prairie. She developed a love for water sports at a young age, and fosters a love for competitive swimming in her swimmers. 

Do you have a past as a swimmer? 

I started swimming in southern Indiana. I started competitive swimming when I was 9 and I got scholarships to go to [Truman State University] in Kirksville, Mo. I’ve been coaching swimming for 10 and a half years in Texas.                            

What made you want to coach? 

I was a personal trainer and one of my clients, she was learning how to swim herself as a part of a triathlon. Her kids also swam on a club team and she told me she wanted me to be her kids’ coach. So, I applied for a [teaching] job and became their coach as a newly graduated college student. The years progressed, I got my teaching certificate [through the Alternative Certification for Teachers (ACT) of Dallas] and became a high school swim coach. 

Do you have a favorite memory with your swimmers? 

We are in the middle of our season kickoff, [and] we started it off with a volleyball tournament. We went out to the park last Friday and the booster club brought some pizza and chicken strips. They played volleyball all night long, it was a lot of fun. 

When are you proudest of your swimmers? 

When [my students] hear what I have to say and actually understand it. Rather than being robots following my lead, when they process it and understand why it’s happening, they can see results on their own. 

What do you want your swimmers to take away from you? 

There’s no excuse to quit. You might have to readjust, you might have to do things a little bit differently but there’s no reason to quit what you’re doing if it’s something that you want to happen in the long run. 

What are your interests outside of swimming? 

Most of it is water-related. I have a jet ski, and go out to the lake and play out on the jet ski. My friend has skis so we’ll get up on the skis and wakeboard. I’m still learning how.

What does swimming mean to you?

Swimming is life. It sounds corny, they have all those little sayings on T-shirts and whatnot, [I even] grew up with those T-shirts that said, “swim eat sleep repeat.” Swimming is a lifelong endeavor that can always provide, if you’re injured you can always go to the water and recover. I see [swimming] as very useful, when I’m stressed out or overworked, I can go into the water. 

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