Back to Archive List Dear Seals Swimmers Old and New,

I am pleased to introduce our amazing new coaching team and share a bit about the Seals facility changes for 2010. We are honored and excited to have our new head coach, "Coach Bella", on deck along with Jeremy Engman as our trainer and Nick Wooters returning as assistant coach. My fellow Seals Board members (with special thanks to Debbie Book, Kathleen Mortimer and Melanie Victor-Smith for playing a huge role in the search for our new coaches) and I are confident that this year of transition will be nothing short of fantastic for our team. All three coaches will be on deck this Winter Session at the Strawberry pool. Sign up now to get ready for a big Spring/Summer season and to get to know our new coaching family.

Vivian and Jamie Firmage have spent many months building a relationship and working towards a partnership with Tam High School. We thank them for their hard work, and are pleased to announce that the Seals will now be conducting a portion of our practices at Tam High School beginning with the Spring/Summer MSL season. Details forthcoming, however suffice to say our meets and practices will be more productive and accommodating to families's schedules with a combination of Strawberry and Tam pools.

We also have reshuffled the deck and added some new faces on the administrative board. After 5 years as our president Vivian Firmage has stepped down, but thankfully still held on as part of the Seals Board! We are grateful for all she has done and I am proud to follow where she left off as the new Seals Board President.

As we head towards the regular MSL season look out for more info on registration and schedules.

Happy Holidays from all of us,

Eric Zener
Seals Board President


Paulette "Bella" Ferriter
"Coach Bella" Paulette Ferriter has been an athlete since the age of two. She was a gymnast and dancer every fall and winter and a swimmer every spring and summer. She was a competitive gymnast in junior high and high school. She grew up competing in the Marin Swim League. In college, she spent one season diving and swimming (part of a record breaking relay!) Bella has spent over half her life coaching. From P.E. to gymnastics, volleyball, soccer and swimming. Bella has coached for the Terra Linda Orca's, Lucas Valley Lightning and Lucas Valley Aquatics (USA Swimming) & Lucas Valley Aquatics Masters. She has coached swimmers from the age of 4 to 74+. In college, she studied kinesiology and psychology. She resides with her two sons, ages 14 and 16. In her free time, she hikes, bikes, practices yoga and enjoys the beach, open water swimming, boogie boarding, body surfing & surfing.

Jeremy Engman
Jeremy Engman was a past coach with the Seals coaching two summers with the team (1998-2000). He is a long time swimmer and has been a part of the Marin Summer League swimming competitively since the age of five. Growing up in Mill Valley, Jeremy returns to the team after living and working abroad for the past six years. He is excited to join the team again and looks forward to a great season!

Nick Wooters
Nick Wooters grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and started swimming when he was 5 years old. Swimming for Northwest Branch and RMSC he later was a four-year letter winner for the Loyola College Greyhound men's swimming and diving team. A member of the medal-winning 200 and 400 Medley Relay teams at the 2004 and 2005 MAAC Championships, Nick also has five top 10 individual finishes in MAAC Championships competition during his career. A versatile swimmer and diver during his Greyhound career, and he was also the recipient of the Fr. Francis J. McManamin Unsung Hero of the Year Award as a senior. A 2005 graduate of Loyola, Nick earned his Bachelor degree in Communications and now lives in Tiburon with his wife, Claire.

Nick is very excited to be back with the Seals for the 2010 season.