Teresa Skelly, Head Coach

Email: skellyteresa@gmail.com

Coach Teresa started her competitive swimming career with the Sharks when she was 11 years old. She continued swimming at Springfield Central High School, finishing her senior year as one of the team captains. She transitioned to coaching after graduating high school, becoming a member of the Sharks coaching staff in 2008 and eventually becoming the head coach of the Sharks in the fall of 2015.

Coach Teresa promotes growth of the whole person in her coaching philosophy and encourages the development of the values of persistence, grit, and empathy in her swimmers. She is a proponent of balancing mental and physical strength in setting and achieving athletic goals.

Coach Teresa also works as a special education teacher at Springfield Central High School.

 

Jerome Skelly, Assistant Coach

Coach Jerome started his competitive swimming career with the Sharks when he was 8 years old. He continued swimming at Springfield Central High School, serving as a team captain for his junior and senior years and competing at the Western Mass and State levels. Jerome also swam with Mei’s Typhoon Swimming Club for two years while he was in high school. He then attended Cal Tech, competing for the Beavers men’s water polo team for two seasons and swim team for one season. Jerome started coaching for the Sharks in 2014 and has been a major force behind the technical growth and innovations of the team since then.

Coach Jerome also works as a math teacher at Springfield Central High School.

 

Patrick Russell, Assistant Coach

Coach Pat started his competitive swimming career with the Sharks when he was 11 years old. He continued swimming at Cathedral High School, where he also competed in cross country and track. Pat started coaching for the Sharks in 2015. Coach Pat brings consistency and a calming influence to the Sharks coaching staff, teaching swimmers the value of showing up and working hard every day.

Coach Pat also works as a history teacher at Springfield Central High School.

 

Sydney Ferri, Assistant Coach

Coach Syd started swimming when she was 6 years old, and she continued to swim as she got older. She swam competitively for the Springfield Central High School girls swim team with Coach Teresa and finished her senior year as a team captain with her twin sister. During high school, Syd volunteered with the Sharks, helping the swimmers, jumping in the water, and assisting as a Junior Coach.

Syd became a Sharks coach in 2019 after graduating high school. She has enjoyed getting to know the swimmers, teaching new swimmers lessons, and has a fun time bonding with everyone.

Coach Syd is currently back at school earning her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

 

Declan Kennon, Assistant Coach

Coach Declan started swimming competitively at 6 years old. He swam for most of his youth career with the Badger Swim Club out of Larchmont, New York. In high school, he swam for Fordham Prep in the Bronx, ending his campaign as a team captain in his senior year. He then attended Brown University, competing for the Brown Bears men’s swim team for one season.

Coach Declan joins the Sharks coaching staff in the winter 2024-2025 season backed by a significant amount of coaching experience. He started coaching at 18 years old with the Larchmont Shore Club. His coaching career also includes stints with the East Side YMCA in Providence, Rhode Island, the East Valley YMCA in Los Angeles, California, Fordham Prep School, and the Hampshire Regional YMCA in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Coach Declan approaches coaching with the philosophy that swimming is an excellent means of building discipline and a capacity for healthy competition.

Coach Declan also works as an ELL teacher at Springfield Central High School.