Rick Benner

JRAC
\r\nHead Coach/General Manager

Coach Rick Benner brings over 23 years of coaching experience, combined with 27 years of parenting, and 12 years of competitive swimming experience to the QDD Swim Team.  Rick believes in providing a healthy and safe environment that instills a work ethic and a sense of commitment and accountability.  This, coupled with personal and social responsibility, fosters growth and maturation, and ultimately leads to success.

Coach Benner, a current US National Team Coach, has developed and trained athletes that have reached the highest levels of success in swimming.  In 2000, Benner led Megan Quann to two Gold Medals in the Sydney Olympics.  Benner also coached swimmers to 5 American Records, 14 USA Swimming Senior National Championships, a  2003 Pan-Am Gold Medalist (Jamie Reid), and numerous Olympic Trial Qualifiers in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Benner\'s swimmers have gone on to succeed at the collegiate level at Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, University of Georgia, University of Texas, Texas A&M, University of Florida, Auburn, University of North Carolina, University of Arkansas, USNA, West Point, USAFA, George Washington University, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and many more.

Married for 26 years to his high school sweetheart, Rick is the proud father of four children.  Rick\'s two daughters (Megan and Bridget) were both scholar athletes for their swim teams in the Atlantic-10 Conference, University of Richmond and Xavier University.  Rick\'s Son Peter is a scholar athlete for his swim team at the University of Georgia, where he was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2009.

Email Rick: qddswimcoachrick@comcast.net

Bob Blashill

Freedom Aquatic Center
\r\nHead Site Coach

Bob Blashill enters his fifth year as Head Site coach of the Freedom Center. With 32 years of swimming experience, Coach Bob is a ASCA Level 3 Certified  Coach and has a BS in Human Performance from the University of San Jose.  While coaching for QDD, Coach Bob developed multiple Virginia Age Group and Regional Championship qualifiers as well as Virginia Swimming Age Group High Point Champions and event champions.

Earlier in his career, Coach Blashill was the Vallejo Aquatics Swim Team Senior Coach in Northern California’s Pacific Swimming LSC. In an area of the country where swimming is at its best, Coach Bob lead his swimmers to achievements such as Junior National qualifications, High School All-American honors, Top 16 Age Group Times, and numerous Senior and Age Group Champions and finalists. Coach Bob has also coached for the Morgan Hill Swim Club, San Jose Aquatics, Kona Kai Swim Club and Homestead High School.

Bob is an exceptionally versatile coach who is at ease with swimmers of all ages and abilities. From novice or young age group swimmers to national stand-outs, Bob’s coaching style both educates and inspires swimmers to be at their best. His greatest strengths are his values and character. He treats people with respect and accepts the differences of others. Bob is kind to his swimmers, holds them accountable for their behavior, and makes his swimmers responsible for their own improvement.

Email Bob: qddswimcoachbob@comcast.net

Mary Brown

Chinn Center Program

Head Site Coach

Coach Mary Brown joined QDD swim team in the Spring of 2010 to head up the Chinn age group program. She brings with her 30 years of USA, YMCA, club, and high school coaching experience to the QDD Chinn Center program. Prior to joining QDD, Mary was a WSI certified private lessons instructor at the Chinn Aquatic Center teaching the Red Cross learn to swim program. Coach Mary has had much experience developing aquatic programs and has CPO, WSI, CPR/AED, and Lifeguarding certifications. After graduating as a scholar athlete from Kent State University, Mary held numerous swim coaching positions for various programs, and has been credited to training athletes of all ages and abilities to achieve national level rankings.

Coach Mary Brown loves coaching because it allows athletes to challenge themselves and develop confidence, endurance, perseverance, and lifelong friendships.

Email Mary: qddswimcoachmary@comcast.net

Keith Barrett

Stafford Program

Head Site Coach

Coach Keith Barrett; a former competitive swimmer turned coach; is entering his third season with QDD Swim Team. Coach Barrett is responsible for the rapid growth at the Stafford sites. He is also a certified Water Safety Instructor for the American Red Cross and many of the successful Stafford swimmers have had Keith as their swim lesson instructor. Since joining the Devil Dolphins\' coaching staff, Keith has coached all levels of athletes from beginning age group swimmers all the way up to national championship qualifiers. Coach Keith is also the former head coach of the Curtis Park Sea Hawks RSL summer league team. Under his coaching, he helped lead the team to a championship season. Additionally, Keith is a co-head coach to the Mountain View High School swim team also swimming out of Stafford.
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Outside of swimming, Keith was formerly a music major at the University of Mary Washington. Specializing in classical music and opera, Keith has performed on grand stages such as The Kennedy Center and has even been invited to sing at the Presidential Inauguration.

Email Keith: keithswims@gmail.com

Ambur Humphrey

Chinn/Dale City
\r\nAssistant Coach

Ambur Humphrey has been swimming competitively since she was 4.  An army brat, Ambur was a member of the Fort Hood Dolphins, Alamo Area Aquatics, Prattville Sealions, and finished her swimming career as a member of QDD.  Ambur coached Hampton Oaks Swim Team of the RSL for 6 years, leading them to two Battlefield Championships.  Ambur is a graduate from Georgia Southwestern University with a B.S. in Psychology and Criminal Justice.  She is very excited to return to QDD as part of the coaching staff. 

Email Ambur: atlgal2004@hotmail.com

Samantha Lawerence

Freedom Aquatic Center
\r\nAssistant Coach

Samantha Lawrence has been a member of QDD, as a swimmer and as a coach, for over 12 years! She started swimming competitively at the age of 12 when she joined the summer league swim team Wellington Dolphins. This is where she first started coaching and coached there for 10 years. When she first joined the QDD coaching staff she not only coached Age Group swimmers but the Senior level kids as well. It is this variety and experience that contributes to her success. 

As a graduate from Osbourn Park High School she swam for them all for years leading as a Team Captain and receiving a varsity letter for her performance since she was a freshman. She is now a graduate from George Mason University with a B.S. in Business Management.

Sam coaches all groups at the Freedom Center as she assists Coach Bob Blashill. With over 10 years of coaching experience, Sam brings both knowledge and consistency to QDD.

Email Sam: qddswimcoachsam@comcast.net