USAAS announces Junior National Team Coaching Staff
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by By USA Artistic Swimming, Kennedy Shriver
Tammy McGregor, Monica Velazquez-Stiak, and Young Shin Woo have been named the official coaching staff of USA Artistic Swimming’s Junior National Team. The group’s passion for the sport and dedication to nurturing young talent is sure to reflect directly on the junior national team and their upcoming competitive season.
When presenting experience on her resume with Olympic, World Championship, and Pan American level coaching; McGregor was a confident choice when selecting the correct candidate for junior national team Head Coach.
With Olympic coaching experience for both the US and Great Britian, notably as the US Olympic Head Coach in 2008 and Great Britian Olympic coach in 2012, it is clear McGregor has a deep understanding of an elite level of artistic swimming. Alongside Olympic experience, McGregor has demonstrated her coaching at the World Championship and Pan American level, further solidifying her reputation and credibility in the field and playing a pivotal role as a coach in 2005, 2007, and 2015.
McGregor currently serves on the Fina Coaches Commission since 2017 alongside maintaining head coach position at the Walnut Creek Aquanuts since 1995.
The junior national team’s newest Assistant Coach, Velazquez-Stiak, was a four-time national team athlete and a member of the Ohio State artistic swimming team from 2014-18. During her time as an athlete, she competed in Junior World and World Championships and helped the Buckeyes to three national championship titles and four individual event titles. At Ohio State she earned an undergraduate and master's degree in sports management and worked for Ohio State Athletics in their camps and clinics department.
Prior to returning to OSU as the assistant coach, Velazquez-Stiak worked in the USAAS national office as the membership and athlete safety manager. Within her role, she also served as an assistant for our junior and senior national teams at the 2021 Junior Pan-American Games, 2022 French Open, and 2023 junior national team training camp.
With roots originally from Seoul, Korea next assistant coach, Young Shin Woo, started her artistic swimming career alongside the Korea Junior National team. After moving to the United States in 1997, Woo then joined the Walnut Creek Aquanuts as Age Group Head Coach starting in 1998 to 2003.
After an in-state move to Orange County, Woo found herself as the Assistant Coach of USA’s 13-15 and Junior National Team from 2005-2006. She then transitioned as a Team Consultant for the senior national World Championship team and Junior National team spanning from 2009 to 2013. During this time frame, Woo also founded the Orange County Synchro Club where she served as head coach for three years leaving an incredible mark on the local artistic swimming community.
Woo then returned to Walnut Creek bringing her experience and passion back to the Aquanuts where she currently serves as the Junior Assistant Coach.
With the addition of these exceptional new coaches to the USA Artistic Swimming Junior National Team, the future of the sport shines bright. As we anticipate the journey ahead, we are thrilled to welcome these well-rounded and passionate coaches to our USAAS family. We can’t wait to see the new heights our Junior National Team will achieve under their guidance.
