Barracuda Swimming of Wenatchee

Barracuda Swimming has been a part of the Wenatchee Valley for 30 years. Barracudas originated in 1976 as a summer only program called the Eastmont Swim Team. When the pool was covered in the late seventies the Eastmont swim team became a year round USA program called the Barracudas. Coaches Jack and Jeanne Davisson led the Cuda's to multiple championships through the 80's, 90's and into the 21st century. In 2005 the Davisson's handed the reins to new coach Bob Hill.

About Bob Hill:

Coach Bob

Bob joined San Jose Aquatics at the age of 7.   Five years later, he swam on a relay team that broke the 11 & 12 200 Medley National record.  He also smashed the Pacific Swimming records in the 200 Free, 400 Free and the 400 Medley.  At the age of 18, he qualified for Junior Nationals in both the 100 and 200 Fly events. To this day Bob continues to swim a few days each week for aerobic exercise and for the love of the sport.

It was that love of competitive swimming that introduced him to coaching in the spring of 1992.  That year bob coached for Laurel Wood Cabana club and instantly knew he would be a coach for the rest of his life.  By the fall of 1994 he began his year-round coaching for the Milpitas Tidal Waves, a new team sponsored by the city of Milpitas, CA.  The team grew from zero swimmers to 85 within a three-year period.  In 1997 he left Milpitas to take a job with West Valley Swim club as the Age Group Coach to improve his knowledge of swimming and coaching.

During the summer of 2001, Bob felt ready to take on a greater challenge and took a position with PASA and the Stanford Campus Recreation Association. There he coached Age Group swimming and was the Aquatics Director for SCRA.  His knowledge and skills have improved during his career, but his philosophy has always remained the same.

"I am not trying to create great athletes, but what I am doing is creating athletes with great habits.  Of course, those athletes with great habits go on to do great things," said Bob when asked about his coaching ideals.

"The major reason kids participate in a sport is for fun, but fun comes in many forms: achieving goals, making lasting relationships with peers and coaches, winning races, and sometimes just doing something other than swimming."

Throughout his 14 year career Bob has coached several Far Western finalists and Western Zone qualifiers.  He has been an assistant coach to Junior National, Senior National and Olympic Trial swimmers.  In addition, his athletes have gone on to break Pacific and National records.