Ben
Swim Team 1
Swim Team 2
Melissa Gary
Holden Simon
Sammy Avant

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STINGRAY Swim Team

STINGRAY Swim Team

Competitive swimming is a great way to get a superb workout, while building goal setting abilities and social skills. Plus, being part of a team is a great way to meet friends that will last a lifetime.

Whether you are looking to introduce your child into the world of competitive swimming, or just looking for a great workout with a terrific team, the Stingrays have what you’re looking for. This is a team that will welcome you at your current level, and lead you to your peak performance.
Athletes ages six to eighteen are welcome to hit the water with the Stingrays. Minimum requirements for eligibility are level four of Red Cross swimming or their equivalent.


Visit our program guide for swim team dates and times.

Congratulations to the Winter 2011 Shaw JCC Stingray Swim Team for taking 1st place in the Splash League Championship!


Meet our Coaches

Ben Strubbe
Ben Strubbe has a number of years experience with coaching and swimming. He has swum a number of years for the Wadsworth Youth Team and the Wadsworth High school Swim Team. He has spent over a decade working with children in swimming and classroom settings. From his freshmen year in high school he has been working as a swimming instructor. When in high school he lettered all four years showing his aptitude for quality and speed.

As a coach Ben Strubbe has found that there are a number of things that swimmers will need to work well. The first is a willingness to say that they can do well at anything if they work hard for it. The second is the need to do well for themselves as well as for their team. Swim team gives the wonderful experience of seeing what it is like to swim for yourself, place for yourself, and work to beat your own times. This can also be said for the swimmer on the team. Third and finally a swimmer needs to know that discipline and fun can be partners in making their experience pleasant and effective.

When children are on this team they will know respect for themselves and others. They will understand what it means to be a team member and participate no matter their level. Swimmers will leave every day knowing that they made themselves better because they made the effort to do so. Finally swimmers will leave with a sense of belonging knowing that they are a Stingray.


Melissa Gary
Melissa grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her parents, two older sisters, and one older brother. Growing up she swam for the East Grand Rapids Waves and Catholic Central High School. She has been a swim coach for four years and was the head swim coach at Ridgemoor Swim Club from 2006-2008. She graduated from Catholic Central High School in 2006 and accepted a scholarship to swim for The University of Akron from 2006-2010. Along with being a four year member of the Women’s Swimming and Diving team at Akron, she also roomed with Kendall Karchner, coach of the 2011 Winter Splash League Championship Stingrays, all four years of college. After her four years of swimming, she joined the UA swimming and diving staff as a student assistant coach for the season of 2010 to 2011.Melissa recently graduated from Akron in December 2010, with a degree in Exercise Science and plans on starting her Master’s in Exercise Physiology at The University of Akron in January 2012. When she is not in school, working out, or studying, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and traveling.

Holden Simon
Holden grew up in Akron and continues to live there today. She has been a member of the Shaw JCC her entire life and has been a lifeguard at the JCC for 2 years. She recently completed her WSI certification. Growing up, Holden swam for the Stingrays until she joined the FAST program. Holden is currently a Junior at Firestone, swam on the Firestone swim team for 2 years, and is involved in Cross Country. Holden would like to complete her first half-marathon in the spring. Looking into the future, Holden plans to attend The Ohio State University for physical therapy or pediatrics.

Sammy Avant
Sammy graduated from Barberton High School in 2009 and is currently going to Stark State College of Technology for nursing. During high school she swam all four years in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay, and the 400 freestyle relay. Sammy has been coaching for four years with the Lake Anna YMCA and has been with the Shaw JCC for almost four years as well. Sammy is lifeguard certified, lifeguard instructor certified (LGI), and water safety instructor certified (WSI), as well as competitive swimming and diving (YMCA of the USA).