Andy Clifford

Head Aquatics coach Andy Clifford is a natural for his job. A champion swimmer and water polo player, he began swimming at age six, and has never lost touch with the sport he loves. Andy first came to Ladera Oaks as a teenager, moving from pool maintenance to life guarding, to coaching. Now he spends most of his time working with swimmers of all abilities, in private lessons and team practices. He helps each swimmer develop excellent technique and reach their potential in the sport. He has seen two generations of swimmers go from beginners to top-rated high school and college athletes.

Andy has been recognized frequently for his outstanding service to the sport, not only at Ladera Oaks, but also by Pacific Swimming and USA Swimming. He is proud of the long tradition of excellence in swimming that the club enjoys, and of the “tight knit and supportive swimming community” he has built there. Thanks to Andy’s coaching, many Ladera swimmers and teams have gone on to win championships at the local, regional, and national levels. One of his swimmers was chosen for the U.S. Paralympic team that competed in the Athens games. As proud as Andy is of his athletes’ success, he remains focused on “keeping it fun and fulfilling for the swimmers.”  He “work(s) hard to make each swimmer’s experience the very best that it can be.”

Andy has a degree in hotel, restaurant and recreation management from San Francisco State University, as well as certifications in several swimming-related curriculum programs.

Susan Suesser

Susan Suesser, the administrative assistant for the Aquatic Teams Program at Ladera Oaks, handles communications, registration, and billing for the three Ladera swim team programs: USA Swimming, PSA Summer League team, and the Masters team.

Susan is one of the Masters Swimmers at Ladera Oaks, and appreciates that the pool is “absolutely gorgeous and is sparkling clean at all times.” When the administrative position became available, she thought it was a great fit. What does she love about working at Ladera? “I get to listen to the water falling sounds of the pool all day.”

Susan has a BA degree in Sociology and Religion from the University of Richmond in Virginia. She has served on boards and committees for her children’s schools, and been a parent volunteer in the classrooms for 15 years.

 

Sarah Gutierez

If you are looking for Sarah Gutierez, the best place to find her is on the Ladera Oaks pool deck. There you’ll see her working with the younger children, teaching them to blow bubbles, streamline off the wall, or perfect their flip turns.

Sarah began swimming competitively at the age of 11, and continued through high school, where she was part of a three-time Central Coast Section Championship team. She was acknowledged for both her academic and athletic excellence with a scholarship to the University of the Pacific. During summers in college, Sarah discovered the rewards of sharing her love for swimming by teaching others. She continued to teach swim teams and offer private lessons after her graduation with a degree in graphic design.

Sarah says that when her young swimmers accomplish something they didn’t think possible, or overcome their fears, it is “equivalent to winning a gold medal.” She loves that the kids carry the confidence they gain in the pool into other parts of their lives.

What Sarah loves most about working at Ladera is spending time with the children, and “hearing their fresh outlook on life that often has nothing to do with swimming.;

She says Ladera is “a great place to come to work every day.

Peter Krieg - Coach