ABOUT US
The Western CT YMCA Mako's (WCYM) is a multi-level, competitive swim team meeting the needs of individual swimmers from beginner level on up, all the way to the top of the sport. In the tradition of the YMCA, the Mako Swim Team program emphasizes sportsmanship, competition, development of mind, body and team spirit. 

The Mako's are a year round team participating in USA Swimming and YMCA meets. The team belongs to the Yankee Cluster League and competes in dual meets against other YMCA Team, home and away. Swimmers who qualify can compete at the New England Regional Championships and the YMCA National Championships.

The Mako's practice at the Brookfield YMCA's indoor 25 year pool during the short course season and in their new outdoor 50 meter pool from June through the end of the long course season. Both pools are equiped with touchpads and a portable score board. The Mako's host YMCA sanctioned meets and are planning their first USA-S meet in the summer of 2008.

WCYM is also a member club of USA Swimming and Connecticut Swimming. USA Meets are multi-club invitational meets. We predominately participate in meets in Connecticut, or nearby out-of state meets. Our top swimmers compete in State and Regional Zone competition.




HEAD 8 & UNDER COACH
Kelly Moen
Kelly literally grew up in and around the water, first as a swimmer on a competitive swim team and later, during her teenage years as a swim teacher and lifeguard at an Olympic size swim pool in North Carolina. She attended college in North Carolina obtaining a degree in accounting, passed her CPA exams and spent three years working as an accountant for a construction firm. When James, her oldest son, was five she found her way back to the water as a volunteer swim coach for the local summer swim club where she spent three summers coaching. In 1998, a job transfer brought the Moen family to Brookfield and, shortly thereafter, they joined the YMCA Mako swim team where Kelly has been part of the short course program for the last seven years. During those early years, she was a volunteer coach working particularly with swimmers 8 years of age and under. Kelly often reflects on those early years and on how many of the kids who learned their strokes during that period are still swimming today - although many of them are now taller and stronger than she is! This experience has made Kelly appreciate the importance of fun, determination and hard-work in developing great swimmers (and kids). As the years progressed, her role as a coach with Mako steadily increased to the point where she took over the 8 and under age group and eventually began working with a broader range of ages. As part of the Mako coaching staff she obtained American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 1 Certification, attended several coaches’ clinics, and has coached at YMCA New England Regional Championship Meet every year. Last year Kelly also coached the Mako’s winning Yankee Cluster Championship team. During summer 2005, Kelly coached Long Course swimming at Ridgefield Aquatic Club, a private local USA Swimming club team, where she had the opportunity to broaden her coaching experience by working with three different age groups ranging from novice to experienced swimmers up to the age of 14 and had the opportunity to coach many of them at the 2005 Connecticut Swimming Age Group Long Course Championship meet.
COACHING STAFF
HEAD COACH
Roger Simmons
Coach Simmons brings with him an impressive list of accomplishments, both in and out of the water, including 11 years of competitive swimming for the Sioux Falls YMCA where from the age of 12 he consistently placed in the top 3 at Districts as well as Regionals.

Coaching Philosophy: I want swimming to be a positive and rewarding experience. I want each swimmer to feel like they are just as important as the next swimmer, regardless of ability. I put a very high value on technical skills and in getting each swimmer to set goals for themselves. The one thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful is the ability to set a goal and then do what ever it takes to make that goal. In the midst of all of the training and hard work, I do not want to forget the recreational competitive swimmer. That is the swimmer who comes to practice and does what needs to be done, but may also have other interests outside of swimming that do not allow total focus on the sport. This swimmer is just as important as any other swimmer on the team; they have just set different goals for themselves. Lastly, I want everyone to know that I am totally committed to the basic beliefs that the YMCA was founded on, the basic principles of honesty, integrity, and respect. Very few athletes continue past high school in their chosen sport. Even fewer continue on into the professional ranks. But these 3 basic beliefs can be carried by everyone, for a life time.


HEAD AGE GROUP COACH
Rob Bouchey
I am excited to begin my role as the Head Age Group Coach for the Western Connecticut YMCA Makos.  I come to the Makos by way of the Utica Shelby Swim Club (USSC), in Shelby Township, Michigan.  I began coaching with USSC in the fall of 2000 as an assistant coach, in the spring of 2001 I was named the Head Age Group Coach of the Utica Shelby Swim Club, and in the spring of 2002 I was named Head Coach of USSC. 

During my time with USSC, I produced multiple Michigan State Championship Qualifiers of all ages, numerous Michigan State Champions, several Central Zone Qualifiers, many Sectional Qualifiers, a Nationally Ranked Top 16 swimmer, and a Junior National Qualifier.  The swimmers who were Top 16 ranked and Junior National Qualifiers are entering their sophomore years of High School this fall and are prepared for very bright futures as are the rest of the athletes I worked with at USSC.

Through my time developing athletes of all abilities, including championship caliber athletes, I have stood by the principles of self-motivation and self-discipline as the defining qualities of successful athletes.  It is my belief that only with these skills, will the intensive work and meticulous refinement of stroke mechanics involved in everyday workouts provide the most accomplished athletes.  The ability to be self-motivated and self-disciplined will be taught and expected everyday from my athletes, skills that will allow me to utilize my understanding of stroke mechanics and training principles to help develop the highest quality athletes possible.

It is evident that through the commitment of the YMCA, the coaches, and the swimming families, the Makos will become an even stronger organization than they already are in the near future.  I look forward to providing opportunities to the athletes, as well as receiving opportunities through your organization, with great excitement.  I look forward to meeting everyone involved with WCYM, and contributing to the future success and growth of the program.   

ASSISTANT AGE GROUP COACH
Rory Perry
Rory Perry joins the Regional YMCA of Western CT’s Mako Swim Team as an assistant coach, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the sport of swimming. He was a 10 year member of the Wilton Wahoos where he earned YMCA All-American status in his senior year in the 200 butterfly, placing 16th at Y Nationals. He was also a member of several relays that placed in the top eight at Y Nationals, one of which is still recognized as a regional record. He is also a proud member of the Wahoos National squad that placed
2nd in the Nation as a Men's team in 1994. He trained under Tim Murphy who is currently the head coach of the Harvard Men's Swimming Team. Perry attributes much of his success as a high school and USS swimmer to Tim's guidance and coaching and has adapted many of the coaching techniques he learned as an athlete under Murphy into his own coaching philosophy. In high school, Perry swam for the New Fairfield Rebels. He was a 5 time high school record holder and two time state-champion. He earned All-Conference and All-State honors every year of high school. Ironically enough, his records were broken by Bill Monaghan, a swimmer whom he coached. Perry earned a full swimming scholarship to Fordham University. As a member of the AquaRams he was a two-time Atlantic Ten All-Conference and All-East Coast Athletic Conference swimmer placing top three in the 200 butterfly his junior and senior years at both meets. He also placed third in the 100 butterfly his senior year at both meets. In his senior year, Perry was honored by being nominated captain of the Fordham University Swimming Team. He is on Fordham's list of top 5 performers of all time in both butterfly events. Perry has also been involved in many open water swims. In 1992 he won the Candlewood Lake Challenge, a 12 mile swim and in 1996 placed 3rd in the swim around Key West, a 14 mile swim with over 200 competitors.