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Coaching Staff

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Coaching Staff

Flynn Burroughs

Head Coach UB Amherst Swimming

A 1996 graduate of SUNY Cortland, Flynn began his coaching career with the Greece Marlins in Rochester, N.Y. There he coached all levels of swimmers from beginners to JR National Qualifiers. In 1998 Flynn came to UBAM as an assistant coach and became the full-time, Head Coach in 2000. Under his leadership, UBAM has had countless Junior Olympic, Niagara Swim League and Niagara District Champions, mulitiple Niagara LSC Record Holders, two Eastern Zone Champions along with many finalists, hundreds of individual LSC Top-10 Swimmers, several National Top-16 individual and relay performers, many USA Sectional/Speedo Championship Qualifiers, a JR National Qualifier, and an US Open Qualifier.

Flynn served as a Niagara District Eastern Zone Coach in the summer of 2000 and has also contributed to some of Section VI’s premier High School Teams as either an Assistant or Head Coach. During Flynn’s tenure, nearly 50 different UBAM Swimmers have represented their High School programs as members of the Section VI, NYS High School Championship team including 6 NYS State Champions and 6 High School All-Americans.

Flynn grew up in the Rochester, NY area. He was a two time Section V Champion in High School. He went on to swim for Cortland College and graduated with a degree in psychology. Flynn’s wife Stephanie, is a Dentist in Avon, NY. They have two children, Ellyse & Callen.

Rick Boucher

Head Age Group Coach

After a month long national search, UB Amherst Swimming is excited to announce the hiring of our Head Age Group Coach, Rick Boucher. Coach Rick has very successfully served as a Head USA Swimming Coach in Kentucky for 14 years and has a lot of experience working with all age groups and skill levels. Helping to develop multiple US Open and National Top 16 Qualifiers, he has been selected to coach the Southern Zone All-Star Team on five different occasions. A leader in the sport, he was also the program development vice chair for Kentucky Swimming for six years. Coach Rick brings an abundance of enthusiasm, experience, and expertise to our team.

Mark Ayers

Assistant Coach

A 2005 graduate of Williamsville North High School, 2009 graduate of University at Buffalo, and current Graduate student at the University at Buffalo, Mark has coached at every level of the club beginning his coaching career with UBAM in the fall of 2005. Prior to that, Mark taught swim lessons for UBAM for more than three years while in high school. Mark also served as an assitant coach for UB’s college team during the 2008 - 09 Season. He also coaches the Nickel City Splash Masters swim team.

Mark began swimming with UBAM at the age of 13, and has also swam on the Williamsville North swim team, Under the coaching of Flynn Burroughs, Al Erenstoft and Dan McLaughlin, Mark recorded multiple ECIC and Section IV qualifying times, and accompanied the Spartans to State Championships. He was also named the team’s Most Valuable Swimmer his SR Season. In addition, Mark swam for the SUNY Buffalo’s Division 1 Men’s Team.

Kevin Rathke

Assistant Coach

Kevin began coaching on a voluntary basis with UBAM in 2001 working with the White and Green groups. He also has filled in with the Red and Blue groups and became a reguler member of the UBAM coaching staff in July of 2002.

Kevin's experience with USA club swimming stems from the more than 10 years of his daughters' participation with both UBAM Swimming and the El Paso (Texas) Aqua Posse. He is also a long time USA Swimming official certified by the Niagara District as a referee and holds a National certification as a starter.

Kevin began swimming as an 8 year old at the Lockport YMCA and continued into their competitive program through his teenage years. He continues to swim today experiencing first hand the "fishlike" swimming techniques our UBAM Swimmers learn.

Kevin has a BS in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and a MBA from the University of Buffalo.

Bryan Fadel

Assistant Coach

Prior to joining UBAM's competitive team staff in 2007, Bryan taught swim lessons for UBAM’s Learn to Swim Program.

Bryan began his competitive swimming career at the age of six, eventually joining UBAM in 1998. While attending Amherst Central High School, Bryan helped lead the swim team to two division championships and was part of two school record-breaking relays. He was also a four-time Sectionals qualifier and attended States twice. Bryan went on to swim at SUNY Oneonta where he was an individual school record-breaker, as well as a member of four school record-breaking relays. He was a SUNYAC finalist every year, specializing in the individual medley, butterfly, and breaststroke. Bryan graduated from Oneonta in 2007 with a major in Mass Communication and a minor in Computer Art.

Laura Powalski

Assistant Coach

Laura'a coaching career began as a learn-to-swim instructor for UBAM in 2004. Since this time, she has been a lifeguard at UB, the Neumann Catholic Swim League, and a coach/lifeguard at the Country Club of Buffalo. She is currently working her way towards a Business Degree from UB.

Laura's swimming career started at the age of seven. Since then, Laura has been a Niagara District High Point winner at Gold Junior Olympics, a member of Niagara District relay record-breaking teams, and has competed on nine Eastern Zone teams. Additionally, Laura has competed at Speedo Sectionals nine times and has also competed at Junior Nationals. In high school, Laura qualified for States four years in a row and held the position of Niagara District Athlete Representative during her Junior and Senior years of high school at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Tonawanda, New York. Laura is currently a member of the University at Buffalo women’s swim team where she is currently working her way towards a Business Degree.

Erin Ruszaj

Assistant Coach

Prior to joining the UBAM Staff, Erin swam on UBAM for four years. In addition to coaching for UBAM she has worked in UBAM’s Learn to Swim Program and helped coach St. Mary’s of Swormsville Swim Team.

In 2005 she graduated from Williamsville North High School where she had swum on the Varsity Girls Swim Team and participated in the Section VI Finals for four years. She was the recipient of the Most Improved Swimmer and Unsung Hero Awards in her sophomore and junior years respectively. She now attends SUNY Buffalo where she is pursuing a degree in English and Psychology, and a minor in Marketing.

Erin is very excited to see how this year progresses and looks forward to seeing her swimmers succeed both in and out of the pool. With nine years of competitive training under her belt, she has a firm grasp on what it takes to be a successful swimmer.