Aquatics
Masters Swim Coach's Corner
BUMS are undergoing a coaching change. We are fortunate to have an Interim Head Coach committed to coaching for the 2011-2012 season while we search for a new Head Coach to take over in the Fall of 2012.
Interim Head Coach: Samantha Pitter
Coach Sam has been coaching and teaching swimming for almost 10 years in several different capacities. She most recently served as Interim Head Coach for Cambridge Masters Swim Club, and is very excited about the opportunity to work with BUMS.
In addition to her work with masters, she is currently entering her fourth season as the Assistant Coach for the MIT Swimming & Diving program. Over the past three seasons, her work with the MIT sprinters has helped bring MIT to unprecedented levels of success. Sam has helped lead the men's team to three consecutive NEWMAC Championships and Top 10 NCAA finishes, with a program high 4th place finish in 2011. Last year, the MIT women won their first NEWMAC title and sent 8 women to NCAA's, the most in institute history. Coach Sam was recognized for her contribution to MIT athletics in 2010 when she received the SAAC Superior Service Award, presented to the member of the MIT community that goes above and beyond to provide support for the student athlete experience.
Sam just finished her tenure as the Graduate Assistant for Aquatics at Boston University where she earned a Master's Degree in Physical Education Specializing in Coaching. While the GA, Sam helped manage the ever growing BU staff, taught several Aquatics classes, as well as children's and adults lessons, and fell in love with everything that FitRec offers to the Boston community.
Prior to BU, she worked at a non-profit in downtown Boston for two years before eventually making her way back to her true love, swimming. Sam earned her bachelor's degree in Economics and Communication from Hamilton College in 2007. She was a 4 time All-American sprinter, school record holder, team captain and NESCAC All-Academic recipient during her four years with the Continentals.
Assistant Coach: Jen Strasburger
Coach Jen Strasburger comes to BUMS with over 9 years of coaching experience at a variety of levels. After concluding her swimming career as a honorable mention all-American, captain and conference champion, Jen went on to become the Graduate Assistant coach at the University of California Berkeley. While there, the Women's team placed 8th and 6th at NCAA's, won the 800 free relay and put athletes onto the Olympic, World and University games teams. Currently Jen is the Assistant coach for BU's Men's and Women's teams as well as working with the University's masters program. She specializes in technique and tough practices.
Assistant Coach: Clara Van Allen
Clara Van Allen graduated from Boston University in May 2011 with a degree in Elementary Education and a sub-concentration is Special Education. During her four years at BU, Clara was a member of the Varsity Swim and Dive team, specializing in Distance Freestyle, IM and Breaststroke. Clara was on the scoring team at the America East Conferences all four years (two of which BUSD won the AE Conference) and is a team record holder in the 800 Freestyle Relay.
While Clara has been swimming for 15+ years, she has just begun her coaching career. After joining the BU Aquatics staff in March of 2011, Clara became involved with the BUMS program by coaching once a week. During the following summer, she took on the role of interim head coach. After receiving a full-time position at a school in the Brookline School District, she had to step down as interim Head Coach but remains on the coaching staff coaching the Sunday morning practices. Outside of coaching and working in Brookline, Clara is pursuing her Masters degree in Special Education.
Assistant Coach: Erik Linnane
Erik Linnane joins the coaching staff with over 25 years of coaching and teaching experience. He has coached masters, college, high school, and age group swimmers at the Belmont Hill Club, Providence College, Boston College, Boston University, the Babson Recreation Center, and in the Acton-Boxborough system. Long, long ago, he was a scholarship-winning swimmer at Providence College where he competed in the breaststroke, IM, and fly events. Erik earned his BA in Psychology from Providence College and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Boston College (no fears BUMS - a true Friar, Erik has no love for the Eagles). Outside of coaching, Erik works full time at the BU School of Management as the Associate Director of the undergraduate program. .
Your Administrator: Joan Rajfer
Joan is a huge supporter of Masters Swimming since she's a swimmer herself! She started swimming on a team at age 6 and hasn't stopped since! She swam for BUMS as a undergraduate at BU and returned in 2005 as Manager of Aquatics at BU.
Some of her recent, post-shoulder surgery swimming accomplishments include completing an open water 5K swim in 2008 and 2010 and her first 1650 at the New England Short Course Championships in 2009. Although she was a sprint freestyler and breaststroker in high school and college, the distance events have brought new challenges!
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