Coaches Fred Ferroggiaro and Tim Harvey have coached Redwood swim for over a decade and swam together at the University of California, Berkeley. Harvey was introduced to Redwood swimming when Ferroggiaro asked him to come down and help him 11 years ago. Starting as a parent just folding chairs, Ferroggiaro knew he wanted to help the team. In the next few years, he became an assistant coach and eventually a head coach. Together, they’ve helped Redwood go to North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs almost every year and taken leads in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL).
Growing up in a small town in the high desert of Southern California, Harvey discovered swimming due to the hot climate and saw it as the only way to cool off during those high temperatures. Similar to Harvey, Ferroggiaro grew up in the Central Valley and learned to swim at a young age. Both coaches went on to swim for Berkeley, and Harvey balanced water polo and swimming during his years there.
Swimming has several race types, such as freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, each with its techniques and rules.
Races can vary in distance, from sprints like the 50 yards to endurance events such as the 500 yards in high school swimming. Therefore, Harvey and Ferroggiaro have learned to adapt to each skill and better their athletes to create a winning program. With a large team, it’s often hard to manage all athletes. Still, with Harvey and Ferroggiaros’ years of experience coaching teams with over 100 athletes, they’ve learned a lot about their coaching styles and how to manage such a large group.
“Be resilient, [and] adapt to each different situation, all the kids are different. That’s why it’s so fun,” Harvey said.
Harvey’s lesson on resilience is attached to the various race types of swimming and he’s made it clear that he adapts to every single one as a coach.
“For me, [I needed to work on] patience [when it came to working with young adult swimmers], which has always been a weak point for me. As I’m looking at all these athletes [at practices and meets], I’m hoping we can channel a positive experience [for each swimmer], ” said Ferroggiaro.
Harvey and Ferroggiaro’s energy is apparent at every meet. They’re passionate and informative, and their decade of experience coaching together is apparent. Even with a big team, they consistently manage every one of their athletes.
As of now, the swim team has over 75 student-athletes and continues to grow each year. Harvey and Ferroggiaro lead their team to MCAL and NCS playoffs each year while continuing their decade-long friendship and dedication to Redwood.
