About Our Team

Mission

The Mendocino Coast Sea Dragons Swim Team exists to improve the well being of the children and youth of the Mendocino Coast.

Vision

"Our goal is, through the sport of swimming, to provide opportunities for our young people to challenge themselves, to realize their full potential and achieve success, as defined by each individual. Our goal is to make swimming accessible to economically disadvantaged children in our community. Through these experiences, they will develop the skills of perseverance, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and a love of physical fitness."

Mendocino Coast Sea Dragons (MCSD) is a competitive swim team located in Fort Bragg, California. MCSD is a club member of Zone 3 Pacific Swimming, a division of USA Swimming, the governing body for competitive swimmers in the United States. Our coaches are certified by USA Swimming.

MCSD is a non-profit organization run by a volunteer board made up primarily of swim team parents.

We practice year-round in Fort Bragg’s newly built, state-of-the-art C.V. Starr Aquatic Center pool, and we compete regularly in Pacific Swimming meets throughout northern California. We are proud to host sanctioned Zone 3 CBA invitational meets.

Your experience with Mendocino Coast Sea Dragons Swim Team is guaranteed to be challenging and fun. There are many opportunities for you here on the swim team. New friends, new goals, and exciting explorations of surrounding areas, with positive people supporting you and helping you grow. Swimming is a sport which will help you throughout your life!

 

Meet Our Coaching Staff:

All of our coaches are certified with USA Swimming. They have passed a series of water safety courses with USA Swimming and Red Cross, a coaches' education course, and a background check which is renewed every two years.

Interim Head Coach Derek Hutchinson

Derek is the head teacher at the Mendocino Community High School. He has a M.A. in Experiential Education. He is a certified lifeguard and USA Swimming coach. He swam competitively from ages 6 to 17, played high school water polo, and he continues to swim as training for surfing, windsurfing and triathlons.

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant Coach Skip Schwarz

Skip was a teacher in the Fort Bragg Unified School District for over 30 years. He started swimming competitively at age 8 and continued until his first year in college. After that, he was a life guard, swim instructor, swim coach, Special Olympics swim coach and a pool manager for eight years while he attended San Diego State University and University of San Diego. These jobs were influential in helping Skip decide to become a teacher. Skip's hobbies are swimming, surfing, wind surfing, skiing, playing guitar and ukulele. He has a 16-year-old son attending Fort Bragg High School, and his wife, Janice, is also a teacher. He thanks all the parents and swimmers for supporting him as a coach for the Sea Dragons!

Assistant Coach Kristina O'Briant

Assistant Coach Kevin Donley

Kevin has been swimming both recreationally and competitively for as long as he can remember. Kevin's love for the water is not limited to the pool though, as he is also an avid surfer here on the north coast and beyond. Kevin is also a new father and is looking forward to sharing his love of the water with both his son and all the children of the Mendocino coast.