The Cannonball Swim Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has hired U.S. Olympian Rhi Jeffrey as their new head coach. Jeffrey will replace former head coach James Sabatino, who was named to USA Swimming’s banned list on December 2nd, 2016.
Jeffrey has over 10 years of coaching experience, and is also an accomplished swimmer. As a swimmer, she qualified for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team at just 18 years old. She then went on to win an Olympic gold medal as a part of Team USA’s 800 free relay at the Athens Olympics. Jeffrey is a 5-time qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials, having qualified to compete at the meet in each Olympic cycle since 2004, including the most recent 2016 Olympic Trials. She wasn’t able to attend the 2016 meet, however, as a recurring shoulder injury and her coaching duties kept her from competing.
Jeffrey first started coaching back in 2005 with Schubert Swim Camp, which made her realize her passion for playing the coaching role. Prior to taking the job as head coach of Cannonball Swim Club, she was a coach and swimmer at Apex Aquatics in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
Scrutinizing anyone from the outside is a grave disadvantage, as you are guided from a distance. Only when you are on the inside can you see clearly. You can’t get it if you haven’t gone through it! Rhi Jeffrey is one of the few I’ve known in my life that stands for true passion, risk, reward and development of soul in herself and all those that surround her. Know this parents and swimmers; she is relentless in her ability to teach, foster and understand personalities. Her moral ethic for the sport of swimming goes back to the age of 7. Her experience, knowledge and passion for the sport pales none to many elite coaches I have ever met. Having a… Read more »
You’re right, you can’t rip down google.
https://www.google.com/search?q=new+zealand+age+of+consent&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
I have known Rhi since she was in 7th grade, over half her life. She has an incredible work ethic, even then, working at a level that only a rare few do. It’s easy to point fingers at people’s “mistakes” when you haven’t walked in their shoes. Having a computer and access to Google doesn’t mean you know somebody. Cannonball swim club is lucky to have her… She will be a dedicated coach and will encourage those in her charge to make the best of their God-given talents. I consider myself blessed to know her.
I wonder if this comment was left by the guy who wrote Everitt Uchiyama a recommendation to work with children? Or any of hundred-plus now-banned that somehow still have supporters? “Don’t believe the media…I know this person, they’re still a good person.”
Sorry Charlie, it’s 2017. You can rip down “google” and “the internet” all you want, but your attitude is the one that child abusers hid behind for centuries. It’s too late for that.
With all due respect, you do not know me. And my guess is that you don’t know her. I have no idea who the other person you mention is, for the record.
Yes you have, I can testify on this..Thank you for all the guidance, mentoring and still being in her life.. It is a blessing.
I find it confusing that the members of this forum cannot seem to differentiate a personal life from a professional career-but after knowing swimmers and the members of the upper echelons for over a decade, it really isn’t that surprising. Rhiannon has worked extremely hard to be able to place herself as head coach of a decent swim team that could benefit from her experiences (and I mean professionally).
What is even more confusing to me, and I am willing to bet any monetary value, is that none of you have any intimate knowledge of the decision making process that brought about this change in coaching; outside of the tongue and cheek that is happening here very passive aggressively might… Read more »
Gross.
Some people have nothing better to do with their time. Hide on the internet and judge without facts. Sad!
Please learn the difference; this isn’t judgement the comments prior to this comment are judging Rhiannon. Would this be said about her if she were a man, or would you just chalk it up to female athletes coming on to their coach?! You should be ashamed, for Judging this comment, and for judging this coaching decision. She is capable, and deserves a fair shot.
https://staging.swimswam.com/2004-gold-medalist-rhi-jeffrey-training-for-comeback-in-bizarre-new-zealand-scenario/
This is crazy…….
Agreed. Seems like the club didn’t learn a lesson.
I wish swim parents spent their time ON their kids, lifting them up paying attention to the things that they say about their teammates and less on gossip. Its best to stay routed in reality…
Odd replacement for Sabatino considering she has had a previous relationship with a minor in New Zealand.
I guess you can sell your swim club and the members are left in the dark.
No one was “left in the dark”.