A quick quiz for y’all:
- Who grew up at The J before launching her professional coaching career here a dozen years ago?
- Who was a multi-year championship diver for The J before playing Division I soccer at the University of Kentucky?
- Who excels at coaching kids of all ages on the field, in the gym, and in the pool?
- Who is most likely to be your kid’s favorite coach anywhere?
- And — bonus round — who is the newly named director of athletics and aquatics programming here at The J?
If you answered Kirsten “Coach K” Thomas to all of the above questions… you win! As does The J.
In addition to her longtime duties on the court and on Levite Field as athletics director, Coach K’s new role will see her spend more time poolside as she takes on supervision of:
- The Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center swim program that currently serves 54 children
- The Barracuda Swim and Dive Clubs (with more than 100 participants combined)
- The J’s Swim School that serves some 100 I3 Academy students and will soon serve participants from our newest partner, Girls Inc.
“I can only look forward to working with the talented athletes, coaches, and staff to enhance our programs and help everyone — kids and coaches — reach their full potential,” Coach K says.
“I’ve always been passionate about fostering athletic development, and here at The J is where I first found my joy in sports,” she explains. “It just gives me such a good feeling to be able to do even more for such a wholesome place that does such good work every day.”
Coach K’s new title takes effect immediately.
Read about Coach K’s family coaching legacy.