Head Coach 

Bio: I began swimming in 8 ^th grade at AuSable Valley Central School for Coach Dave Comegys. I qualified for NYSPHSAA Championships in 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grade as a member of the 400 Free Relay, setting a school record that stood for 16 years. After graduating from AVCS, I attended SUNY Potsdam and swam for a strong team that won two SUNY Team Championships. I qualified for NCAA Division III National Championships as a member of the 800 Free Relay, that set a school record that stood for 30 years. When Coach Comegys retired, I began coaching Boys Swimming at AVCS and continued there for 10 years, winning Section VII/X titles during my final two years coaching the team. Since retiring as Superintendent of Schools from Saranac Central School District, I have returned to coaching here with the Waves and have thoroughly enjoyed working with swimmers again!

My philosophy of coaching is to always be helping swimmers to find more speed in the water by improving the technique of their strokes, starts and turns and to get them more comfortable swimming at higher speeds during practice.

Coach Jay Ruff

Bio: Swimming is my Life!  I Learned how to swim in Lake Champlain at Port Douglas Beach as a child and was first introduced to competition with a regional event the Swimkana. In elementary school, I joined a small club team called the Red, White and Blue Crew, where I started competing in both swimming and 1 Meter Diving. When I reached middle school, I swam Varsity for AuSable Valley Central School. I earned a sectional championship and qualified for states for four straight years. I was able to earn multiple school records. I swam Division III for University at Albany, until the school moved to division I and canceled the swim team. I finished out my college by playing water polo at RPI. 

My coaching career began at AuSable Valley, where I coached Boys Swimming before returning to school to earn my Masters in Chemistry Education. Then, I was hired to coach Varsity Girls swimming at Plattsburgh High School. We earned 11 Section 7 team titles over the 15 years that I coached for Plattsburgh. As my daughter showed interest in swimming, she joined the Lake Champlain Waves team. Over the time she has been swimming, I have gained more and more interest in the Club until I became the Head Coach.

My Coaching Philosophy is based on improvement. If we can better ourselves through swimming I believe it will be reflected in all aspects of life. Swimming is truly a lifetime sport and I mirror that in my own life as a triathlete.   

Coach Andy Johnson

Bio: Andy started coaching for the Lake Champlain Waves in 2021. He has coached the Red White & Blue Crew swimming team since 2010, and coached the AV Girls Varsity swimming team for 12 years. He has been a consultant coach, specializing in meet management, for girls and boys Section VII swimming. Andy has served as the NYSPHSAA and CVAC Section VII Swimming Coordinator since 2022. His coaching career really started in high school and college when he taught swimming lessons for a variety of organizations including the YMCA, City of Syracuse, summer camps, and local youth commissions. In the off season, he coaches youth soccer for the Town of Jay/Black Brook and has been a science teacher at AuSable Valley since 2007.

Andy was first introduced to swimming at age 10 when he joined a local club team called the Red White & Blue Crew, a youth commission swim team for which he is now the director. Through his six years in middle and high school he swam on the AuSable Patriots Varsity team where he was an 9-time NYS state qualifier, placed in the top 16 at NYSPHSAA, set 12 school/pool/section records, and helped the team capture 2 Section VII/X titles. He went on to swim for SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburgh State University, setting 10 school and pool records in butterfly and freestyle. Andy’s passion for swimming is strong and he can often be found in and around water everyday, now joined by his family.

“My coaching philosophy is to maintain a strong focus on technique while bringing variety and fun to practice. While I embrace the challenge of competition, I view sportsmanship and character development as equally important when coaching youth sports. My number one goal as a coach is to help my athletes achieve theirs.”

Coach Carol Pearl

BA SUNY Albany, MBA Boston University

Bio: As a first time coach, I wanted to express personal gratitude for you parents registering your swimmer. I am especially grateful to learn from Coach Jay and Jon on how to make a positive difference in your child's life.Thank you for this opportunity to learn, swim better and have some fun.

By way of  introduction, I grew up in Plattsburgh, swam on a team from age 6 to 21, burned out, then did lots of triathlons, 11 marathons, 3 Tough Mudder/ Spartan beats, then joined Masters swimming in Boston for the last 10 years. I am happy to have recently retired from 27 years at Harvard (living in Boston) and so happy to be back in the place I grew up, Plattsburgh, to enjoy life in and on the lake.

This is a lifelong sport that will pay many returns in the long run. For today, your swimmer has a place to go, new friends to meet, and learn more about swimming better and faster. I do believe this should be fun and will always have music to liven up the time above water. 

Coach Hayden Reidy

Bio: Hayden began his swimming journey with the Lake Champlain Waves when he was 7 years old. Quickly realizing his love for the sport, Hayden transitioned to a year-round, 5 day per week swimmer. In high school, he swam for the Plattsburgh High School Swim Team in 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. During this time, Hayden qualified for the NYSPHSAA Championships in 10th and 12th grades, competing in 4 events each time. 

Post college, Hayden participated in a collegiate swim club for one year before transitioning over to open water swimming and triathlon. Hayden’s background in swimming led him to completing 8 Ironman races, being named an Ironman All-World-Athlete (top 5% for men 18-24 in the world), and finally a qualification for the USA Triathlon Nationals in Wisconsin.

Hayden’s background in triathlon significantly influences his approach to coaching. He is passionate about motivating swimmers to achieve their utmost potential and speed, all while fostering an enjoyable environment where kids can work hard while having fun. 

Coach Ava Bailey

Bio: I am originally from Vermont and have lived on the New York side for a few years now. Swimming has always had a large impact on my life and my family. I started swimming when I was 5 years old for GMA in Vermont. I swam for GMA for a few years before I moved over to The Edge Swim Club for the majority of my swimming career. I had great coaches who continuously made me love the sport and are truly the reason I decided to begin coaching. 

Here on the New York side, I started coaching with the Red, White & Blue Crew swimming team where I was a junior coach. I met many great coaches here in this area and once the season ended, I became the Girls Modified swim coach for Peru. And I am now very excited to continue as a coach for WAVES and looking forward to working with all the swimmers and parents here!

Coach Aynslee Grasso