Alexis started with the Tampa Y in 2003!

Alexis is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and although has been in Tampa for a long time, is still a true Philly sports fan! Alexis is married to her husband, Andy, and has 2 children. Her daughter was a longtime Stingray and her son swam for his high school. She attended undergraduate school at Millersville University and swam for 4 years, where she served as the team captain her senior year and was part of the PSCA winning relay team! She continued her education at Wilmington University and completed the MBA program while working as a Marketing Analyst for several different financial instituations.

Never being far from the pool deck, Alexis swam Masters and coached at the local YMCA while in Wilmington, Delaware. Looking for sunnier weather, Alexis and her husband relocated to Tampa in 2002 due to her husband's job. After having her children, she looked for something she could do with a flexible schedule and began coaching with the Tampa Y. Since then, since then she has coached at every level of the TYS program.

Alexis currently serves as the Director of Competitive Swimming for the Tampa Y Association. She oversees the staff and programming across four competitive sites, yet can still be found on deck coaching and supporting swimmers at practice.

Beyond her work with the Tampa Y, Alexis has taken on several leadership roles within the Florida LSC and USA Swimming. In 2021, she was awarded the Women’s Leadership Workshop Series Scholarship by USA Swimming. In 2025, she was selected to particpate in the USA Swimming Women in Governance program. Also, she is a valuable member of the Age Group National Committee for USA Swimming.

What do you like about coaching for TYS? I love working with our coaching staff and have fun watching our swimmers suceeed!

Matt has been with TYS since 2013!

Matt is originally from New Paltz, NY. He is married to his wife, Marissa, and they have 3 children. In high school, Matt played three sports - football, baseball, and swimming. He swam for all 4 years of high school and then went on to swim at The College of Saint Rose for 4 years as well. He graduated with a bachelors degree in secondary education and is currently a middle-school Civics teacher.

After college, Matt coached his local club team for 3 years. He also coached for one season at Villanova University before making the move to Tampa. Matt started coaching for TYS at the Bob Sierra site and is currently coaching at the New Tampa site. He primarily runs the Senior and Gold groups at New Tampa.

What do you like about coaching for TYS? I like teaching athletes life lessons through the sport of swimming. I want to give back to the sport that has provided me with many lifelong mentors, coaches, friendships.

Kenny's favorite stroke is butterfly!

Kenny comes to TYS from New Jersey. He attended William Paterson University where he swam for three years. Kenny graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor's degree in History. A great personal achievement is that Kenny is an Eagle Scout!

Kenny has been coaching for 5 years. During this time he has achieved an ASCA Level 3 certification, coached at the 2017 Eastern Zones Championship, and at the 2018 YMCA Long Course Championships.

What do you like about coaching for TYS? My favorite part about coaching with TYS is hard work is rewarded and recognized in a positive way. Swimmers and coaches are encouraged and supported in their journey to success.

Marissa has been coaching with TYS since 2013!

Marissa is originally from Toms River, NJ. She is married to her husband, Matt, and they have 3 children. She swam for her club team at the local YMCA, the OCY Tiger Sharks, for 8 years. Her mom is still a coach there! Marissa also swam all 4 years in high school and then went on to swim at SUNY New Paltz for 4 years. She was a Division III Nationals Qualifier and team captain for 3 years. She completed her undergraduate in Elementary Education and is currently a Reading Coach in an elementary school.

Marissa started coaching for her summer swim league program after graduating high school. She then coached for the local club team and high school team while completing her undergraduate studies. After graduating college, Marissa coached for a club team in Pennsylvania before making the move to Tampa. Once in Tampa, she began coaching at TYS and has coached at all levels of TYS. 

What do you like about coaching for TYS? I love watching the swimmers grow as both athletes and people throughout the years. Swimming gave me some of my best memories and friends, and I hope I can do the same with the swimmers I work with.

Welcome Coach Laura Boardman to Tampa Y Swimming!

Originally from Manchester, England, Laura has been immersed in the world of competitive swimming since the age of 8. Her impressive career includes competing at the British and English Nationals, Northwest Regionals—highlighted by a first-place finish in the 800 freestyle at the English Nationals.

Laura was recruited to the University of Indianapolis (Go Greyhounds), where she was a standout swimmer specializing in distance freestyle events, including the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle. During her collegiate career, she was a four-year scholar-athlete and All-American. She also gained valuable experience as an assistant coach for her college team. Academically, Laura holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Sociology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, both from the University of Indianapolis.

After relocating to Tampa about a year ago, Laura is excited to begin this new chapter with Tampa Y Swimming. She will primarily be coaching at the Bob Sierra Family YMCA. When she's not on the pool deck, Laura enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time at the beach.

Christina  is from the west suburbs of IL but usually just says Chicago.  She went to Grand Valley State University in MI and has a BA in Hospitality & Tourism Management with a emphasis in Event Management. She has loved the water since she was little; swam competitively from age 11 all the way through high school. When she was at Grand Valley, she found a job coaching a local team, the EGRA Waves, which is a team part of the National Governing body, USA Swimming and fell in love with coaching a swim team. She loves teaching kids all four swimming strokes and getting prepared for competitive swimming. To  Christina , swimming isn't just an individual sport, it's a team sport and as a swimmer you will learn skills that are not only for the pool, but life skills you can use in the real world. On her time off, she enjoys spending time with her husband, parents and friends and 6 fur babies.

Coach Anthony is a lifelong Tampa resident with a strong background in competitive swimming and athletic achievement. He trained with the Tampa Bay Aquatic Club (TBAC) and went on to serve as captain of his high school swim team, where he set four team records. An accomplished swimmer, Anthony has continued to stay engaged athletically by competing in triathlons and HYROX races across the United States, showcasing his dedication to fitness and competition beyond the pool.

While pursuing his pre-law degree at the University of South Florida, Anthony has also dedicated himself to coaching, spending two years with the Y swim league. During this time, he gained valuable experience helping athletes refine their technique, build confidence, and reach their goals. Now he coaches the TYS Stingrays at the campo location where he can help younger kids grow their love for the sport of swimming. 

Favorite thing about coaching- Coach Anthony says that his favorite thing about coaching the Stingrays is to see them grow not only as swimmers but as people and how they mature throughout their swimming career. He likes watching them apply the lessons of hard work and dedication into their daily lives. 

Welcome Maria back to TYS - Maria was part of the Stingrays as as swimmer at Bob Sierra Y!

Maria is a Tampa native that has 10 years of coaching experience ranging from infant swim lessons to senior athletes. Full time, Maria is a Doctor of Physical Therapy primarily in home health care, but also on staff with USA Swimming Sports Medicine. Her favorite races are in open water, being on the Florida Swimming Zone Team staff for 5 years and participating as an athlete in the 5K. She’s also been selected as a coach for USA Swimming’s National Open Water Select Camp and participated on the Florida Swimming Board of Directors for 8 years as an Athlete Representative. Maria is a Bob Sierra Tampa Y alumnus and swam competitively from age 11 to 22.

Emma started competitively swimming at the age of four and swam Division I at Florida Atlantic University.  Emma graduated with a major in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Environmental Studies.  Throughout her swimming career she had many accomplishments such as achieving her Olympic Trials qualifying time in the 10K open water, competing in the Orlando Grand Prix and volunteering on USA Swimming and Florida Swimming boards as an athlete representative.  After finishing up her swimming career in 2015, Emma started coaching for a competitive swim team in South Florida.  During the Summer of 2017, Emma moved back to Tampa to continue her swim coaching and start on her professional career path. Emma’s passion is coaching and teaching young athletes the sport of swimming!