I am thankful and excited for the opportunity to be the head coach of our Venetian Poolsharks this Summer 2026. Swimming has been an integral part of my life, from growing up swimming in Ithaca, NY, to being a 19 time All American captain of the first NCAA D1 National Champions @ University of Georgia (swam freshman year at U of Florida) and former US American record holder (butterfly leg) in the 400 medley relay.  I have coached for 20+ seasons including summer league teams, high school (Paideia & Decatur HS), and college (Emory volunteer coach & U of Wisconsin Badgers).  I have 3 Poolsharks of my own, Isaiah (18), Naomi (13) and Olivia (8).  I love when our Poolsharks are involved in multiple activities, and growing up I was able to play all sorts of activities, from ice hockey to violin to basketball.  My 5th year at UGA, I walked onto the UGA basketball team, where we made it to the Elite 8.  During the school year, I teach at Decatur HS and love being a part of our metro Decatur & ATL community.  I love rooting for whatever team my own kids are playing for & the Buffalo Bills.  Go Poolsharks!

I am SO excited to rejoin our Venetian Poolsharks family for the 2026 season! Swimming has been a part of my life from my childhood in Key West, FL to swimming at Agnes Scott College and (of course!) coaching Venetian. I love teaching swimming to children and adults, and I truly believe that it is the ONLY extracurricular activity that will ever save a life. I can't wait to see how each swimmer grows this summer- from the littlest Starfish to the eldest senior Poolsharks! GO POOLSHARKS!!! 

My name is Coach Jayla and I am a rising junior at Vanderbilt University, studying Medicine, Health and Society with a concentration in Inequalities, Intersections and Health Justice with minors in Legal Studies and French. This is my 5th year Coaching for the poolsharks and I am so excited to be back on the pool deck this summer! I have been swimming summer league since I was 4 years old and all of my best memories are on the pooldeck! Can’t wait to create more and Go Poolsharks!

I’m excited to be back for summer ‘26. I was a pool shark from age 4-18 and this is my third summer as a coach. I love being a pool shark because we are fast and we have fun.

I’m Coach Claire. I’m graduating from Decatur High School and will be attending McGill University in Montreal in the fall. This will be my 5th year coaching at Venetian and my 9th season as a Poolshark. I’m super excited for another great season! Go Poolsharks!!

Hi I’m Coach Emily! I am graduating from Decatur High School and will be attending the University of Georgia in the fall to study cellular and molecular biology! This will be my 5th year Coaching for the poolsharks. I swam on Decatur’s varsity swim team for four years and have been swimming competitively at Dynamo swim club since I was seven years old. Swimming and being a poolshark have made me a better version of myself every day, and I can’t wait to continue to pass on this joy to younger swimmers! Go Poolsharks!!

Hi, I am Coach Ben, and I am a senior at Paideia High School and am going to University of Denver in the Fall. I am excited for my 5th year as a coach at Venetian, and I can't wait for the season to start.

I am so grateful to be back at Venetian this summer for my 5th year as a coach and 10th as a swimmer! I am graduating from Druid Hills High school this May, where I have spent all four years swimming, spending the last two as a captain. This fall, I will be attending Villanova University (Go Cats!) where I will be majoring in Philosophy and Public Policy, and hope to join the swim club there as well. I’m so excited for this season, Go Poolsharks!

Hi, my name is William Dempsey. I’m a rising senior at Druid Hills High School. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends, as well as golfing and fishing.

I am a high school sophomore transferring from Decatur High School to St Pius X High School. This my 12th season as a Poolshark and third season as a coach. I am excited to be back for another summer of Poolshark domination.

I'm a junior at Midtown High. Ever since I’ve been old enough to get here alone, I’ve spent my entire summer at Venetian. I'm also a huge music fan and love talking about songs.

Hi, my name is Lucinda Painter and I have been a Poolshark swimmer for the past 11 seasons and a coach for the past few. I absolutely love being able to race for an amazing team, coach the little swimmers and starfish and spend time with my teammates. I can’t wait for this season and all the future seasons to come, go Poolsharks!

My name is Cannon Elliott-Earby, and I graduated from Decatur High School last year. I am now working full-time as a welder, and I have been a Pool Shark since last year. I am very excited to be coming back and coaching this year, and I’m super excited for this upcoming season. Go Poolsharks!

Hello! I’m Andrew Parker and I’m a Sophomore at Decatur High School. I’ve been swimming since I was 4 years old but this is my first year at Venetian and I’m excited to be apart of the team and my favorite stroke is butterfly. See ya’ll in May!

Hi! I am Coach Margaret and I am a rising sophomore at DHS. This is my third year coaching and I am so excited for another great season! I have been swimming for the Venetian Poolsharks for seven years and have always loved the great environment! I can’t wait to help swimmers have the same experience I had and for this season to start! Go pool-sharks!!

Hi! I have been a Pool Shark since I was 5, and love the pool!  Outside of swimming I like to run, paint, and play the clarinet. During the school year, I run cross country and track, and I love to paint landscapes in watercolor.

I have been swimming competitively since I was 11 years old, and this is my third summer swimming for the Venetian Poolsharks! I am also an active member of the Decatur High School swim team and a new member of the Emory Eagles year-round club team. My favorite stroke to coach and swim is backstroke, especially the dive :)

I’m Henry Dempsey. I’ve been a Poolshark since I was 7 years old. In addition to swim coach, I will be working as a camp counselor at Camp Venetian and as a lifeguard at Venetian. I’m very familiar with both the pool and the community!

This is my first year coaching swim, but I bring experience from coaching basketball this past year. I love staying active—whether it’s playing tennis, fishing, working out, or spending time with friends.

I’m also a creative person and enjoy expressing that through things like clothing and design. I’m excited to bring energy, positivity, and a strong sense of teamwork to coaching this season.

Hi! I’m Dot Ciccarelli and I can’t wait to coach this summer. I’m going on my 7th year as a poolshark and 3rd year coaching. I love being a member of our team and spending my months of June and July at the pool. I’m looking forward to great summer as a swimmer and coach at Venetian!

Hi! I'm Silvia and I've been Poolshark for 5 years now and have been coaching for 3 years. Being a part of the swim team is a great experience, all of the coaches and team members bring such positivity, and I look forward to coaching and practicing every day.

I'm Coach Jack.  I have grown up at Venetian and am a rising senior at Decatur HS.  I am also a lifeguard at the pool and this is my first year as an Assistant Coach.