Courtesy: USA Swimming
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced today that USA Swimming member coaches Ron Aitken and Todd DeSorbo have been named Developmental Coach of the Year and College Coach of the Year respectively for 2021.
“Coach Aitken and Coach DeSorbo are highly accomplished coaches who have helped shape the phenomenal trajectory of many elite athletes,” USA Swimming President and CEO Tim Hinchey III said. “Ron and Todd sent a combined total of nine athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games and those Olympians brought home seven medals. This is just the beginning of the greatness we will see from these coaches for years to come.”
The USOPC Coach of the Year Recognition Program recognizes the work of quality coaches throughout the entire Olympic movement.
“I really enjoyed working with both of these coaches during last summer’s Olympic Games and I look forward to sharing the pool deck with them again,” USA Swimming Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko said. “Their impact was definitely felt in the success of our Olympic Team and look forward to seeing what the future brings for both of their coaching careers.”
Aitken, head coach and CEO for the Sandpipers of Nevada Swim Team since 1994, had five Sandpiper swimmers (three current and two previous) qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. These athletes include silver medalists Erica Sullivan and Bella Sims, as well as 15-year-old Katie Grimes who placed fourth.
In addition to athlete performance, Aitken had two major club accomplishments throughout the 2021 season. First, he had six athletes qualify for the 2020-2021 USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team. This recognition is for high school athletes across the country who have earned a pool time equal to or faster than the 2019 Winter Junior qualifying time while still maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA for the current academic year. Second, the Sandpipers of Nevada were recognized as one of the 21 Gold Medal Clubs in the 2022 USA Swimming Club Excellence Program.
“Receiving notification of the award has been overwhelming and humbling,” Aitken said. “To be recognized by the USOPC over all Olympic sports and not just swimming is very special. I strive to do my best for our athletes and from my heart I’m truly grateful to be honored with this award.”
DeSorbo, currently the women’s and men’s head coach at the University of Virginia (UVA), sent four swimmers to Tokyo who claimed four Olympic medals – two in individual events. Athletes coached by DeSorbo include current collegiate swimmers Paige Madden, Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh. He served as an assistant coach for the Olympic Team this past summer in Tokyo and will be the 2022 FINA World Championships women’s head coach this summer in Budapest.
In addition to DeSorbo’s contributions on the world stage, the UVA women’s team took home the 2021 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championship for the first time in school history, then repeated its title this year. Currently he has five U.S. National Team women training at his program – more than any other school’s student-athlete representation on the 2021-22 U.S. National Team.
“It’s an honor to be recognized in any fashion for accomplishments, let alone as the College Coach of the Year,” DeSorbo said. “There are so many quality coaches out there leading and assisting college programs across the country, and to be considered along with them for this award is very humbling. I’m still in awe of the experience I was fortunate to enjoy this past summer in Tokyo. That opportunity was a result of a great staff assisting me here at UVA and the hard work, commitment and disciple of some amazing student-athletes. These student-athletes, in particular the Olympians, are my heroes, they’re the reason I was able to join them on their maiden Olympic voyage.”
Read more about Aitken, DeSorbo and the other USOPC coaching award recipients.