SwimRVA
Head Coach/Swim Team Director
I am the Head Coach and Director of a year-round USA Swimming competitive swimming program called SwimRVA. Our non-profit organization strives to drownproof the Greater Richmond area by providing cost-free swim lessons to every second grader of every elementary school in surrounding counties. As the Head Coach of the competitive swim team, I help my program support the mission of SwimRVA while also working to build the most amazing individuals possible through the sport of competitive swimming.
Throughout my 28 years of competitive swim coaching, I have had the pleasure of experiencing countless truly transformative moments with athletes ranging from learn to swim lessons, elite grade school, high school as well as the collegiate ranks, some of whom have even gone on to win Olympic Gold Medals! Regardless of the talent or level of ability of my athletes, the top priority is that each of them remember they are not an athlete, they are a PERSON. Sports is not who we are, it's something we do. And we use the lessons we learn through the ups and downs of competition to help build the person we are into the person we want to become.
Profile Information
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail."
Dealing with stress & anxietySelf-motivationPressure before or during a gameConfidence as an athleteCommunicating with coaches or teammates
ASCA Level 4 Certified (College and Club), USA Swimming certified
Jonathan and the Rapids are entering their 8th season together after an unprecedented start to the remarkable "Rise of the Rapids". During the first seven seasons, the Rapids have managed to change the landscape of swimming in the Greater Richmond area by providing accessibility and flexibility to families while also swimming at the highest levels. The relationships his coaches are building with the athletes are personal and life-changing. As a result, in just over six seasons, the Rapids have grown from 0 swimmers to over 550 athletes while also being among the Top 3-4 teams in Virginia and Top 75 in the Nation, including being ranked as one of the Top 30 Age Group Teams in America for teams with over 400 swimmers! In addition, the Rapids have grown from 3 to 27 coaches (and from 1 to 8 full-timer coaches!), helping us focus on developing character skills that have allowed us to become one of the top teams in the state and even nation!
Prior to SwimRVA Jonathan got married and moved back to the Richmond area where he went on to enjoy a very successful two years as the head coach at the Dolphin Club in Richmond. In two years, he grew the club from 63 to 183 athletes. Jonathan believes in each child's potential and growing relationships one swimmer, one family at a time. While at Dolphin Club, the team improved in USA Swimming's virtual club rankings from 31st to 23rd in the state and 1955th to 958th nationally. At Virginia Swimming's age group champs the team improved from 30th (27 points) to 15th (291 points) and his girls team finished 9th overall, while also having a Top 15 team finish (Top 10 Girls) at Senior Champs for the first time in team history.
Prior to Dolphin Club, Jonathan served as the Assistant Director of Competitive Swimming at YMCA of Triangle Area. As head coach of the Gold Group, he guided 50 YMCA National qualifiers, 5 YMCA national finalists, 12 NCSA Junior National qualifiers, 2 USA-Swimming Winter Junior National and 1 USA-Swimming Winter National qualifier. Jonathan helped YOTA grow to 600 members and earn Top 25 rankings in USA Swimming's Virtual Club Championship. While at YOTA, Jonathan worked with over 130 athletes with video instruction and stroke analyzation.
Before heading to Raleigh, Kaplan coached in Richmond for NOVA of Virginia Aquatics as the head coach of the Senior Silver Group and assistant coach of Senior Gold. Jonathan's Senior Silver group included 16 NCSA Junior National, 6 USA Swimming Winter Junior National and 1 USA Swimming Winter National Championship qualifier, 1 National Age Group Record Relay participant, and 14 Virginia State Records. While at NOVA the team earned a 3rd place overall team finish at the 2014 Spring NCSA Championships, an overall Virginia State Championship and a 6th place overall team ranking in the USA Swimming Virtual Club Championships. Jonathan help in the organization and create of the first ever Henrico County high school swimming program.
From 2006 to 2013, Jonathan was the Head Swim Coach of the Panama City Swim Team. While head coach, the year-round membership grew from 65 to 250 members. PCST earned bronze medal club status for USA Swimming Club Excellence for the first time in team history. In 2012, PCST had its first ever swimmer compete at the USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials. In addition, Kaplan tutored 3 swimmers who qualified for USA Swimming's Summer National Championship, 3 qualifiers to USA Swimming's Summer Junior National Championship, 11 NCSA qualifiers, 1 USA Swimming Junior National Runner Up, 1 US Open Finalist, 5 SES Champions, 2 LSC records, 3 HS All-Americans and 6 Florida High School State Champions. In 2011, PCST won Southeastern Swimming Medium Team Championship. 17 of Kaplan's swimmers went on to compete in the NCAA. One of Jonathan's greatest accomplishments includes the fortune of coaching a high school valedictorian in 6 consecutive years while at PCST.
Jonathan is a graduate of Florida State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and his Master of Science in Sport Administration. He resides in Richmond with his wife, Jessica, and their four beautiful children Rowan, Finlay, Crew & Cora along with their three dogs (Cordelia, Bayou & Rowdy) and cat (Pearl). Needless to say, he and his family are excited for the Rise of the Rapids here with SwimRVA!