Scott Griffith steps away from the pool deck
- Klas Stolpe
- 2 minutes ago
- 15 min read
Longtime Glacier Swim Club coach retires after guiding more than 10,000 students through life’s waters over 37 years
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Scott Griffith walked along the Dimond Park Aquatic Center pool deck. The swim lanes were eerily silent, the water still.
It was a rare moment when his charges were not hard at work.
Surrounded by years of memories, he pondered the question: “Why retire?”
“This has been a hard choice,” Griffith, 52, said. “I love my job, loved every minute of it. But everything about the job takes away from your family. I work before school, I work after school. My wife (Sarah, 46) has a very demanding job, so I'm not there for my family. I’m taking away from my family (son William, 12, and daughter Sophie, 9, are starting to homeschool)…So I don't feel I can give the job the attention it needs, family comes first. I hope I’m not done coaching; I don't want to walk away forever. I just have to back off of the demands of all day, every day.”
For roughly 37 years, Griffith has been a swim coach — literally coaching more than 10,000 swimmers, including his start in Virginia at age 15 and up through 21 years with Juneau’s Glacier Swim Club. His official last day as head of the swim club is Aug. 31.
“It was my passion,” he said. “Pretty much gave my life purpose, I guess. Just doing a job that you love and you're passionate about. I feel like I was successful in watching so many people achieve their goals in the pool, but also I feel that spills over in life. And I’ve been doing it long enough now where I see these kids and they're successful in whatever they're doing and I like to think that I was a part of that. It’s nice to feel good about what you have done in life. Swim coach is something some may not think makes a difference in society, but I would disagree — if you talk to all the people that have had a coach that has made a difference in their life.”
Those influences are huge.
“So much of it mirrors what goes on in life and especially in the 30-plus years I’ve been coaching I’ve seen a shift in our youth,” he said. “What I've noticed is, I think kids don't fail enough at their young ages and I feel like that's why we see a lot of issues when they get older. In swimming, you are going to fail. Overcoming failure is one of the biggest lessons you learn from swimming and that spills over into relationships, into jobs, into health, into everything. You're not always going to get what you want and you've got to work for it. You've got to, you know, fall off the horse, you’ve got to get back on it. I feel like having any sport, but especially swimming, where you're just shooting against that clock, you're going to fail a lot of times and I think that's probably the most important life lesson. We're teaching kids to overcome that and it's not always easy. There's a lot of tears and a lot upset kids that you have got to deal with.”
Those trials also bring a level of sportsmanship. While swimming is a very individual sport, athletes spend most of their time with teammates in the pool or lifting weights or traveling together.
“If you don't have a good support group, you're not going to get very far,” Griffith said. “I have always felt like swimming — and Juneau for that matter — has been so accepting to new kids or different kids and it doesn't work if there's tension in the pool. I’m not a big, ‘You have got to get along, you’ve got to do this’ (person), but I think just leading by example and treating everybody fairly and showing each other respect and expecting the kids to be part of that, I think carries over in their relationships with each other.”
Griffith’s first swim relationships started in Virginia. Growing up in Waynesboro, he swam for the Shenandoah Marlins Aquatic Club (SMAC) and the high school team. His first coaching stint was at age 15.
“Where I grew up, summer league swimming was huge, a two- to three-month season and every rec pool or neighborhood pool had a team, he said. “At a certain age, you de-qualified from the league…I would go to 6:30 a.m. practice, swim until 9, then go to summer league practice until 11, where we coached and had meets in the afternoons. Teenage life was at the pool.”
His swim talent earned a walk-on spot on the top 25 college swim program at the University of Virginia, where he studied engineering. The grind of swimming over 20 hours a week led to focusing more on studies. He graduated in 1996 and was an assistant SMAC coach while studying for graduate school. The head coach resigned in 1999 and Griffith found his calling.
“I’ve been loving it ever since,” he said. He coached SMAC until 2004.
He applied for the GSC job in 2002.
“They offered the job and I declined, asking them to keep my resume and if it doesn’t work out to call me,” he said. “In a year and a half they called back.. I came up for an interview and it was August and, like, 80 degrees and I was stoked…I remember everything clearly. I thought I might have been done coaching, you know, I was dealing with parents and spoiled kids and I was really excited to come up to Alaska, and of course I was blown away by the beauty of Juneau and things to do — but also I was blown away by the support of the parents. And the kids were so hearty. They didn't whine and didn’t have their parents do everything for them. I literally felt like I was stepping back as far as coaching, like when I was a kid, where kids came and they did the work and they earned it, and the parents didn't coddle them. I remember coming here and having parents be like, ‘Feel free to kick my kid's ass.’ It's a different breed here. People won't stay inside when it rains, or people would just travel and stay with other families. It was just a different world, and I fell in love with it and embraced it.”
Since Griffith’s hiring in October 2004, the GSC has broken over 414 club records — fewer than four from before 2004 still stand — and 141 state records.
“Scott brought stability and a string of competitive successes to GSC,” Northern Lights Swim Club coach Cliff Murray said. “Scott’s efforts have been crowned with the recent success of PJ Foy (2024 Thunder Mountain graduate currently swimming for the University of North Carolina). That said, under Scott’s tenure, GSC has always been a competitive team within Alaska swimming and in USA Swimming. Scott’s longevity in Alaska swimming has been exceeded by only a small handful of other Alaska swimming coaches. It is clear that he has strong leadership skills that have kept GSC strong, even during challenging times. My favorite memory of Scott has to do with a coach/fishing trip in Sitka. He hooked into the largest steelhead I have ever seen…a real monster. I have no doubt that Scott will inducted into the Alaska Swimming Hall of Fame in the near future.”
Under Griffith, GSC has placed over 35 swimmers into college swim programs.
“I have known Coach Scott for almost 14 years so I have really grown up swimming under his direction,” University of Minnesota freshman swimmer Emma Fellman, a 2025 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé graduate, said. “His support, encouragement and dedication to developing me as both a swimmer and a person is something I am incredibly grateful for. He’s been the heart of GSC and I know he will be missed by so many.”
It is a rare occasion when GSC as a team has not placed in the top three at a state meet.
“I think I am proudest that GSC is not just a perennial powerhouse in the state, but I think one of the most respected clubs,” Griffith said. “People will call for advice or say, we saw that on your website, or other coaches will call. So I think we've established the club as kind of, I don't know if it's the premier or the best, but I just think the way we run it and the athletes we produce and the success we've had in a small town… like the fact we're beating Anchorage teams and raising more money than anybody else, it's just kind of a well-oiled machine. And I feel like that respect and consistency and that reputation that GSC has gained over the years is what I'm most proud of.”
GSC also uses a mentor “buddy” program of older swimmers walking their younger teammates through first meets.
“I probably learned it from someone else about having buddies,” Griffith said. “You have to. It’s been hard since the high school swimmers don't really see those elementary school kids as much as I do. So you have to create that bond. Every year I have to remind those high schoolers, ‘You have no idea how much you mean to these kids.’ They don't see themselves like that, you have to teach them, you have to make them get involved. It means so much to those kids to be a part of the high schoolers’ experience. And it is so good for the kids and the high schooler leader to take that leadership role. I think you really value listening to your coaches more when you try to teach a 10-year-old a flip turn or something like that.”
During his tenure, GSC has also been a leader in sportsmanship and generosity, so much so that they sometimes travel with and support other clubs’ swimmers.
“There is certainly a high level of camaraderie, especially in Southeast, but all across the state,” Griffith said. “Partly because there’s regions and you get to know those kids and some have done the zone teams together, and maybe Petersburg will call and say, ‘Hey, we got two kids going to the meet in Seattle and we can't send a coach, can they go with you?’ We always say, of course, we always help each other out. Even our girls' biggest rival was Chugiak Aquatic Club in Anchorage and they have this healthy relationship with each other. They're Instagramming stories to each other…I can't explain why. I think it just has to do with our geography in our state, but swimmers just seem to have this healthy relationship. It's competitive, but also they feed the bond in ways you don't see other places.”
That bond is something most outside the swim community may not see.
“It took me a long time to realize this. Sometimes it happens in elementary school, but I think in the middle school years the kids that are going to do it they just just fall in love with it and they identify with it, and they can't imagine their life without it,” Griffith said. “There's been so many swimmers — even some of the great swimmers — you coach them all and some days you're like, get off the wall, and it seems like they don't want to be here. Then a parent will show you their email or their Instagram profile or notebook, and it's just covered with swimming paraphernalia, like it defines them, and that's the program. The program has made them want to be part of that. We get kids all the time that the parents are like, ‘We tried every sport and nothing's stuck, and they love swimming.’ I think it's just the family. I think they get it, they love it even though it's work. It's funny. Every year I have adult lap swimmers who complain, ‘Oh, GSC, you’re taking over the pool at six in the morning.’ I'm like, ‘Isn't it great that the youth of your town is here at six in the morning, working out? Aren't you proud of that?’ They change their tone after that.”
Many of Griffith’s first swimmers have continued that life.
“Pretty much, other than Lisa Jones, our entire staff is kids I’ve coached that are adults now,” Griffith said. “I have second generation, some of my kids’ kids, that I'm coaching. Kristen Jones, when I came here she was a freshman straight out of college. She's our headmaster's coach, her daughter's on the team now, her mom's also coaching. Kids, if they graduate and they come back to Juneau and they have spare time, they want to work. Seth Cayce, Amber Kelly, Josiah Loesby, I coached them all, they all came through the program.”
Cayce, a GSC assistant and a 2010 JDHS graduate, first swam for GSC at age eight.
“I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of swimming and coaching for Scott, and both have given me so many memorable and enjoyable moments,” Cayce said. “He helped myself, along with countless others, grow into the person and coach that I am today, and I am forever grateful for that. Scott has a unique ability to connect with swimmers on every level and make them feel like they are just as important as the person next to them. He brings the best out of everyone…Every coach should want to have their own identity, but if you try and emulate what Scott does, you're already two steps ahead.”
Cayce’s sisters Jocelyn and Savannah did as well. Savannah started at age five and swam through her freshman year at JDHS before her death in 2012 at age 16. The Southeast Age Group championships were renamed in her honor the following year.
“That was probably the toughest thing I ever experienced in my job,” Griffith said. “Also taught me even more about teenagers and what they need. The support of their peers and an adult just telling them their feelings are OK. Man, that was one of the few times in my life I cried like a baby. I spoke at her funeral and managed to keep it together. Still think about her often.”
His swim team and his family were often time adjacent.
“Coaching, as rewarding as it is, is a difficult job to find a life/work balance,” he said. “Especially if you have a family, the hours and the weekends gone are the hardest part.”
Griffith signed an initial three-year contract in 2004 and his mother (Suetta) made him swear he would be home after three years. His father, Herb, died in 2018.
“And then I went through that contract, and I'm like, ‘OK, next summer. I'm gonna stay, but next summer I'm going to take the summer off.’ And I've been saying that every year and I never do, something comes up, like PJ (Foy) makes a real good time or there's a swimmer needing additional training. Maybe I put the job ahead of myself too often. I'm not really complaining, but that's probably been the hard part.”
He also has watched the sport change.
“It’s just like anything…technology, food, things are always changing. Gosh, swimsuits have changed so much, coaching styles have changed. Recovery. The world of recovery is so different from when I swam. Now there are foam rollers, massage guns and ice baths. Nobody heard of that stuff back in the day. You just got to stay educated and with the times.”
Swim caps and T-shirts at the pool and in the stands always capture his attention. A couple of years ago parents in the stands rocked shirts that read, ‘I can’t, I am at the pool.’
He noted the excitement of a meet as the stands fill and the pool waters churn.
“The first day of every meet you walk in and are so nervous for the first swims,” he said. “Because a lot of times that sets the tone. And they always are good, but you always have those old second thoughts right before like, ‘Oh no, did we do this right, did we taper it right?’ You start to have those self doubts and I think it's just the excitement of the meet and it always works out. And then by the last day you're exhausted, the kids are exhausted, but you get kind of loopy and I always have the most fun.”
Longtime JDHS swim/dive head coach and former GSC assistant John Wray noted Griffith’s consistent level of hard work, willingness to try new ideas, attention to detail and passion for the sport.
“Scott has had an incredibly positive impact on Juneau,” he said. “GSC is a top-flight swim team and has been for many years. That is due to Scott as the head coach of GSC. Scott strives to develop positive members of the community with all his athletes. He created the Beast from Southeast, GSC came to race anybody, the level of improvement of the swimmers over their career was due to Scott…He has had a significant influence on the state of Alaska swimming today.”
Wray’s favorite memory is when he and Griffith were attempting to return from Fairbanks with 14 high school-aged swimmers after competing at the State Senior Championships.
“The kids swam lights out, by the way,” Wray said. “The weather in Juneau was not good, surprise there, and Alaska Airlines gave us the choice of Anchorage, Sitka or Seattle for an overnight flight home in the late PM. We opted for Anchorage, and within a very short period of time, Scott had made overnight arrangements for the kids, van and car rental for transport and time for a short workout at the Dimond High School pool, breakfast, mall, fly home. Professionally done. I am a big fan, I respect Scott for his years of outstanding coaching.”
Longtime GSC assistant Lisa Jones noted Griffith’s building of GSC into a welcoming team where swimmers of all abilities wanted to participate, his developing of a comprehensive schedule of meets focused on developmental swimmers — including all teams across the region — and hosting the Southeast Championship Invitational that welcomes any swimmer, with his team philosophy of “all swimmers belong” within a safe and fun environment.
“Scott embraced team activities both in and out of the pool,” Jones said. “The team enjoyed many group swims at Auke Lake during warm summer days. One particularly memorable event took place at Sunshine Cove during a stretch of beautiful weather in summer 2023. Scott invited the entire team to join him at Sunshine Cove, where he anchored his boat just offshore. He brought floating platforms that he tied to the boat, creating jumping platforms for the swimmers. Scott also grilled hot dogs and burgers with all the trimmings for anyone who wanted them. The scene was quintessentially Alaskan: kids eating hot dogs while floating in the sunshine, jumping, paddling and swimming in the pristine waters. It created a true Alaska summer memory that exemplified the joy and community spirit Scott fostered…Juneau, southeast Alaska and Alaska swimming have greatly benefited from Scott's passionate dedication to the sport. Countless young swimmers have been positively influenced by his coaching and mentorship. The entire GSC community should be grateful for his time as head coach and the lasting foundation he has built.”
Longtime GSC assistant Jan Rumble noted a favorite memory from last season.
“We have this inter-squad meet, which happens annually. It is just GSC split into four teams,” Rumble said. “The coaches of the teams that do not win have pies smashed into their faces by the kids. It is a weekend event with all of the coaches and kids racking up points. We have outfits and special swim caps. Last year, Scott was one of the losing coaches, as well as myself. My memory is just how fun it is, the pies spread out on tables beforehand, the kids deciding who is going to throw the pie, the points’ calculations on who is going to win and lose. I just remember the losing coaches outside DPAC, waiting, including Scott. It was so fun, families and kids loved seeing us all get pies in the face. Scott made this meet, with GSC together, having fun watching the head coach get a pie shoved in his face. Hard to beat…I have coached Alaska swimming since 1991 and seen many coaches come and go. Scott is exceptional. He made GSC what it is today. The coaches work for him and the team because of this leadership. We are a family. He helped lead the way to making us a major force in Alaska swimming and propelling all our kids to being better swimmers, awesome citizens and great teammates. Personally, he has made me a better coach and person.”
Former GSC board member Max Mertz noted the many positions Griffith has held statewide in Alaska swimming and his calm demeanor on the pool deck that made him approachable to kids and parents. “Scott did a lot to nurture the strong swim community that came together to advocate for the construction of DPAC,” he said. “Without that community, I don’t think we would’ve had the deep volunteer roots that were needed to contribute the hours and work to get a concept that the voters would agree to.”
Mertz remembers a swim meet in Colorado.
“It gave the kids the opportunity to interact with Scott in an informal setting,” he said. “Outside of the usual on-deck environment. We took the kids to a lake one day and rafting on a river on another. The kids and Scott had a blast. It was great to see how much he really enjoyed doing things with the kids. It wasn’t just a job for him.”
While Griffith left it all in the pool, so to speak, he believes the best is still ahead.
“If we look back 50 years from now, I’d like to be seen as a guy who kind of brought them to another level, but also I don’t want that to be the golden years,” he said. “I would like to see someone else come in here and bring them to the next level. I would love to see them continue and get stronger. When you build a strong program, you hope it attracts the right candidate for coach that is looking for that higher level. I hope that the team continues to thrive.”
Using accrued vacation time, Griffith has already attended a Lady Gaga concert in Seattle, and after last week’s glacial lake outburst flood was driving through the Rockies with his son and dog.
GSC is interviewing head coach applicants.
“I am thankful I had the opportunity to come up here,” he said. “And thankful that I took the job and thankful for all the support over the years and the kids I got to coach. It has been fulfilling…I plan to be back in October. If they hire a coach and he’ll have me on the deck, I would love to participate in a lower capacity.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at kstolpe@juneauindependent.com
