Meet the Coaches!
Hallsley is thrilled to welcome back Coach Mike McKee!
Mike brings passion, connection, and fun to swimming while helping athletes grow both in and out of the pool. He focuses on strong technique, emphasizing good habits with every stroke. Since joining Hallsley, Mike helped guide the team from 11th place to CAL Champions, with an undefeated season in 2024. While the title was great, Mike also just loves introducing swimmers to the sport and having lots of fun.
Mike began coaching at NOVA Aquatics in 2008, growing groups from 20 to nearly 150 swimmers. He later helped 757swim increase team size by 57% and guided them to major wins and records. Now at SwimRVA, he coaches the Junior group, which has broken numerous records and excelled at state and zone meets.
With 14 years of summer league experience, including titles at Woodmont, Fox Hall, and CCV, Mike has also coached multiple Virginia Zones teams. A Virginia Tech grad and former club swimmer, he loves music, hockey, and video games—but most of all, making a difference in the Hallsley community. We’re excited for another great season with Coach Mike leading the 2025 High Tides!
Meet our Assistant Coaches
Coach Ellie Mierenfeld:
Coach Ellie began swimming at 5 years old for the Walton Park Waves and fell in love with the sport! At the age of 10, she joined the SwimRVA Rapids club team and she has been a proud Rapid ever since. She has enjoyed competing at the elite level at many state championships, Eastern Zone meets, and Futures. This summer, she is looking forward to coaching AND competing as a High Tide! Fun fact: Coach Ellie is a Cincinnati Bengals fan, and she has a beloved dog named Boomer!
Coach Ryan Scharpf:
Coach Ryan has been a year round swimmer since the 2nd grade. One of his favorite moments was when he went to a state competition in Chicago. He's lived in Virginia for 6 years and (in addition to the Hallsley High Tides) has swam for Quest, St. Edward’s, Nova, and now he's currently on the Benedictine Varsity team. Coach Ryan has been a part of the High Tides for 5 years, and he is super excited to be a coach for his 6th year! Fun fact: Coach Ryan has lived coast to coast and in-between! He was born in San Francisco and lived there for 9 years. He moved to Chicago and lived there for 1 year, and he's been in VA ever since! And he swam in every one of them!
Coach Sam Schwabe:
Coach Sam loves staying active and helping his community. He has been on the Hallsley swim team for ten years as well as the NOVA team for 4 years. His favorite part about swimming is racing extra hard because he knows that his teammates are cheering. He loves coaching because it is so rewarding to watch kids improve and fall in love with the process. A goal he has for the team is to get more people behind the blocks to support their teammates. Fun fact: He loves all card games!
We are SO excited to have them coaching. Please help us welcome our newest coach, Coach Sam!
𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙜𝙤! 𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩! 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙏𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨! 
