Head Coach Deb Knowlton
Debbie earned a scholarship out of high school and swam 4 years for the University of Illinois at Chicago. After graduating with a degree in physical education, she taught for six years at the Latin School of Chicago. Her responsibilities included teaching 6-12 grade physical education, coaching the boy's varsity swim team, starting an age group swim team-grades 3rd-8th grade, co-director of the learn to swim program, and coaching the girl's junior varsity softball team. Outside of school she started a community USS swim team named the Lincoln Park Swim Team. During the summer months she was an age group swim coach for the Oak Park Swim Club and ran the Junior Life Guarding program at North Avenue Beach.

Debbie spent the next two years in Peoria teaching at Dunlap High School and coached swimming for the Peoria Water Wizards Swim Team, Willow Knolls Country Club and was director of the swim program for the Dunlap community.

In 1993, her husband's job brought them to the St. Louis area. Her first job in St. Louis was at South County Tech and then Hollenbeck Middle School where she has taught for eleven years. Debbie's coaching responsibilities slowed down a bit due to raising her two children, Tara (14) and Kayla (10). However, she coached one year for the Rockwood Swim Club and five years for the St. Peters Gators.

She is looking forward to coaching the Sea Lions and contributing to the great Lake Saint Louis community.

Assistant Coaches Kathy Cumbie, Brynne Buell and Thomas Sutherlin
Kathy swam summer league growing up and worked as a "swimmer coach" with her team (in St. Louis County). In high school Kathy was a diver, but also swam some events ( for fun and to qualify for state on relays) and swam some workouts. In college she participated in both swimming and diving intramurally, while coaching in the summers. Kathy coached Fort Zumwalt South swimming (girls) in 1988 and coached both South and North divers in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Kathy's other coaching experience includes varsity winter cheerleading 1987 - 1991. She taught high school math for 5 years and currently homeschools her 3 kids, so education, instruction, and helping kids strive towards personal excellence is important to her. "I LOVE to see kids 'get it'!"

Brynne has been a Sea Lion since 1998, and has been part of the coaching staff, as a Swimmer Coach, since 2004, and has been assistent coach since 2008. As a member of the Holt Lady Indians high school swim team, Brynne helped the team earn three consecutive Gateway Athletic Conference (GAC) championships from 2006-2008. Brynne was named First Team All Conference and to the Conference All Academic Team all four years of high school. In 2008 Brynne was the GAC 100-yard Freestyle individual champion. As a high school Missouri State qualifier, Brynne made the State finals all four years, and was a State medalist in 2005 and 2006. As a triathlete, Brynne has competed in the Lake Saint Louis Triathlon three times, finishing has high as first in her age group. She is attending Missouir State University where she is a member of the women's swim team.

Thomas Sutherlin has been a member of the Lake Saint Louis Swim Team since the age of five. He has been an assistant coach since 2008. He swam for the St. Charles YMCA for five years and qualified for the YMCA State Meet four of those years. Thomas then swam for the St. Peter’s Rec Plex Sharks for until he was forced to call it quits with a torn ligament in his shoulder. Thomas was an all-County champion for four consecutive years from the ages of 12-15. Thomas is attending the University of Mississippi.

As usual, we will have the finest coaching staff in St. Charles County.

Lesson Coordinator Deb Knowton
Deb is also our Lesson Coordinator. She will organize and plan each day's lessons, and work with our great staff of swimming instructors to provide the best swim lessons available in St. Charles County.