COACH SYD 

Founder/CEO

Coach Syd brings over two decades of coaching and teaching experience, along with his proven aquatic methods to LA from Nashville.

While in Nashville he founded and ran 3 successful swim teams, along with his swim school SydsKids, which is still in operation. The Sydney E. Lovelace Award for Excellence is given each summer to a top swimmer at The Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville.

Coach Syd attended Florida State University where he was a standout swimmer in Sprint Butterfly, Backstroke and Individual Medley. He has been teaching full time since 1991. When he moved to LA in 2002 he was hired as the Guest Head Coach at Marlborough Prep and was Interim Head Coach of the Hollywood High School Club Team. He is also former co-founder and owner of Venice Del Play Surf & Yoga Beach Camp. For the past five years, Coach Syd has been the Swim Coach for the Santa Monica High Swim Team. 

Coach Syd and his teams have done it all—from Olympic Team Trial qualifiers, Collegiate Swimmers and High School All Americans to Special Needs kids and 6-month-old toddlers.

He especially enjoys the unique challenges of helping children overcome acute fears of water.
Sydney is also an avid windsurfer and competitive body surfer. In 2012 he placed 6th at the World Body Surf Championship, 3rd at the International Body Surf Championship and Grand Champion of the Venice Beach Surf-A-thon. In his spare time he likes to stand up paddle surf, compete in SUP ocean races, and body/tandem surf with his dogs Nash and Kula.

Fun fact: he got his first boat when he was seven years old!