Dam West Dolphins

My name is Emilie Clarke and I am thrilled to be Dam West Dolphins head coach! Swimming is my passion as I have spent the last 28 years of my life either competing, teaching, coaching, or just having fun, swimming. If I look familiar, it’s because I grew up as a swimmer on the Dam West Dolphins swim team from 1994-2005. I also competed competitively for Cherry Creek high school swim team in the early 2000’s.

In high school, I worked summers as a lifeguard and swim instructor for kids aged 3-6 years old. In college, I was the lead swim teacher for a local preschool swim program at Orchard Valley Learning Center. It was there my passion for teaching was fueled by teaching foundational swim skills and working with primary aged children. I continued my love for teaching after college as a kindergarten teacher in the Eagle County school community where I spent most of my “pre-mom” years skiing, teaching, and working as a part time swim teacher for neighbors in the community. I also worked as a lead swim coach for two swim teams in the Vail Valley before finally moving back to Aurora. One of the teams was also called “the Dolphins”.

Currently, I am enjoying my time as a stay at home mom to my three young boys, Barrett, Declan and Graham. They’re currently too young to be Dolphins this year, but they definitely enjoy the pool just as much as their mama!  When we’re not at the pool, you can find us walking around the neighborhood or biking around in the Burley (their favorite quarantine summer activity).

It is my hope that I can bring the same spirit and enthusiasm for swim team that I experienced growing up as a Dam West Dolphin. My vision for your swimmers this summer is instilling skills and good work ethic that promotes lifelong personal growth and achievements. No matter where your swimmer is on their swim team journey, it is my aspiration that they are enabled to persevere struggles, learn from mistakes, and accomplish goals they never thought possible. I believe the most important achievements in sports are not only physical strengths, but mental strengths as well.

Hello Dolphins! My name is Ren Becerra and this will be my 12th year as a dolphin, and my 6th year as a coach! I am a rising senior at Cherry Creek High School, and I participate in theater as an inducted member of Troupe 1730. I am also a member of Elite Company at Dance Kaleidoscope. But my favorite time of the year is when I get to coach the Dolphins. I love cheering on our team and seeing these swimmers grow and improve. Growing up on the team has made such an amazing impact on my life and I hope I can help make that impact for my fellow teammates. I love the family our team has created and I am excited for the summer ahead. Go Dolphins!

Hi Dolphins! My name is Micaela Brown, and I’m currently 17 years old and a rising senior at Cherry Creek High School. This will be my 9th year on the Dam West Dolphins as well as my 3rd year coaching. I’ve lived in the Dam West neighborhood nearly my whole life and decided to join the swim team on a whim one summer to have a fun activity to occupy my time. At the time, I had no idea that swimming would go on to become such an integral part of my life. 

Throughout the years, I’ve swam with various swim clubs, but I am currently on the Mission Aurora Colorado Swim Club's (MACS) senior team. I have also completed three seasons with Cherry Creek High School’s varsity swim team. One of the things that I enjoy the most about swimming is how it is constantly bringing me new challenges me to work towards achieving my goals. I believe that swimming is such a valuable skill to have, and I love how versatile it can be when it is applied to other aspects of life. 

When I’m not swimming, I typically spend my summers lifeguarding and coaching, both of which I became involved in because of swimming! I enjoy coaching because I love being able to share my knowledge and passion for swimming with others. I really hope to be able to foster the same love that I have for swimming within the younger swimmers that I coach. It’s so rewarding to be able to work with a swimmer and track how much they improve over time! Also, some of my fondest memories as a young swimmer on the Dam West Dolphins were the mornings that I’d get to spend laughing and joking around with my coaches. I love knowing that I can now do that with my own swimmers and positively impact someone’s life in the same way that my own life was impacted. I’m so excited for this upcoming season!

I have been on the Dam West Dolphins since I was 6 years old.  I was a Junior Coach last year and this is my first year as an Assistant Coach.  My favorite part about coaching are the kids and getting to help improve their swimming!

I just finished my junior year of high school at East!  When I'm not swimming I enjoy hanging out with friend and boxing.  I also babysit for multiple families and love hanging out with kids.  I'm excited for this season!

I became a Dam West Dolphin when I was 12, and this will be my first year as a junior coach! I'm really excited to start coaching because so far I've loved getting to know all the swimmers, helping them improve, and playing little games with all the younger dolphins!

I'm just about to be a senior at DSA where I love auditioning and performing in theater shows! When I'm not in the water, I love singing, spending time with my friends, watching old movies with my mom, and picnicking with my sibling. I'm so excited to become a better coach and swimmer this year!