Coaches

Head Coach and Varsity Women’s Coach

Alfredo is returning as LBJC’s Women’s Varsity coach for his fifth year.  Alfredo grew up in Peru and Spain and began rowing when he was 16 years old.  He went on to become a member of the Peruvian National Team, earning a bronze medal in the men’s 2+ at the 1983 Pan Am Games and competing in the men’s 2+ at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Alfredo is a US Rowing Level III certified coach who has gone on to train teams from LBRA that placed 1st in the men’s 4x at the Nike Games in 1998, 2nd in the women’s masters 8+ at the 1999 Head of the Charles, and 1st place with a course record for the women’s 8+ at the 2001 Head of the Charles.

Most recently, Alfredo coached LBJC’s Varsity Women to a gold medal at the 2007 USRowing Youth National Championships in the 8+, a gold medal and a course record in the women’s 4+ at the 2007 Head of the Charles, two gold medals at the 2008 USRowing Youth National Championships in the 2x and 4x, a silver medal in the lightweight 4+, gold medal in the lightweight 2x at nationals in 2009, followed by a silver in the lightweight 8+, gold in the 4x at the 2010 Youth Nationals, and a silver at the 2x.

Alfredo’s success in coaching rowers at both the junior and senior levels stems from a depth of knowledge in proper technique, training, and development, his ability to motivate and encourage, and a respect for each rower which takes into account their physical, mental, and emotional levels.

Varsity Men’s Coach

Nick D’Antoni is excited to join Long Beach Junior Crew as the men’s varsity coach. Nick comes to the program after starting his coaching career with the Newport Aquatic Center juniors in 2006, during which time he led the men’s team to 3 consecutive team points championships (‘08, ’09, and ’10) at the Southwest Regionals and back to back national championships in the men’s youth heavyweight 8 (2008 & 2009). In 2008, he coached the men’s junior national team pair (2-) at the world championships to the highest finish ever by an American crew in that event. In 2009 he also coached the men’s youth lightweight 8 to a national championship, becoming the first coach to win both men’s eights events in the same year at the US Rowing Youth National Championships.Nick began his competitive rowing career in 1996 for the Newport Aquatic Center as a junior, then moved on to pursue the sport at Orange Coast College followed by Rutgers University. Nick has always enjoyed both sweep and sculling disciplines: racing in as many boats as possible as a junior, primarily in 8’s in college, and training in his single in his spare time. Currently, he enjoys rowing and competing as often as time allows.

Novice Men’s Coach

Assistant Coach

Tom Graves joins Long Beach Junior Crew as Men’s Novice Assistant Coach.  Tom has rowed since his freshman year of high school, culminating his high school career as 2001 Men’s National Champion in the 8+ as a member of the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club.  Tom went on to row for Trinity College, Hartford, CT.  His college rowing career was capped with a win in the Temple Challenge Cup (Men’s 8+) at the 2005 Henley Royal Regatta in England. Tom moved to California in 2007 where he and his brother Peter have been training for the U.S. National Team in the double scull.  In 2009, they represented the U.S. in the double scull at the World Championships.  The brothers won the Championship Double at the 2009 Head of the Charles.  In 2010, Tom and Peter won the Championship Double at the Royal Canadian Henley, and Tom went on to finish second in the Single event at the U.S. Senior World Championships Trials in Princeton, NJ. Through Tom’s 13 year rowing career to date, he has been coached by some of the best rowing coaches in the country and world.  Among them are Todd Jesdale, Larry Gluckman, Tom Bohrer, Mike Teti, Tim McLaren, and Xeno Muller.  He has learned a lot from these great coaches and has a deep knowledge of the sport. Tom brings to Long Beach Junior Crew an enthusiasm for the sport, as well as an ability to motivate and inspire young athletes through his strong work ethic. Tom has coached all levels of rowing from youth to masters over the past five years.

Assistant Coach

Peter rowed in high school where he was the captain of the Country Day rowing team for 2 years. After graduation, Peter attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he and his teammates won the Head of the Charles twice in the collegiate men’s 8+ and also won the men’s 8+ at the 2005 Henley Royal Regatta in England. Peter was the captain of the men’s collegiate team his junior and senior years as well as the Trinity College Athlete of the Year as a senior. In 2006, Peter rowed in the men’s 4x on the US Under 23 team and he and his older brother Thomas Graves rowed together in a 2x at the time trials for the US National Team in 2008.  Peter has won the Head of the Charles 3 times in a row in the Men’s Championship Double Event–2008, 2009, and 2010–bringing the total HOCR medal haul to 5 gold medals. 2009 was the most special- as he and his brother defeated the “Great Eight” rowers who were the #1 scullers from Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovenia. In the summer of 2009, Peter coached Mark Reinis and Nick Trojan (LBJC bronze medalists in the Lwt. 2x at Nationals) in preparation for the Junior National Team Trials for the Junior Men’s Double.  A month later, Peter and his brother Tom won the U.S. National Team Trials in the double and went on to represent the USA in the Men’s 2x at the Senior World Championships in Poland. In the Fall of 2009 and Spring of 2010, Peter was the Freshmen Coach at Trinity College, where the Freshmen won the New England Championships then went on to win ECAC National Invitational by over 9 seconds. During fall season of 2010, Peter coached the Clermont Junior Crew and the Iraqi National Rowing Team. Peter is happy to be back in California coaching LBJC and looks forward to the challenges, successes, and occasional miracles that await us.

Novice Women Assistant Coach

Megan is an alumni of LBJC, having not only rowed as a junior, but taught the recreational team while in college and in the 2008-2009 season. During the 2009-2010 season Megan helped the Novice Men acheive their gold medal at SW Regionals in the Coxed Quad.

Assistant Coach

Jacqueline began rowing with LBJC when she was in 8th grade and during her high school career was chosen to go to the US Junior National Selection Camp during both her junior and senior years.  After graduating from Valley Christian High School, Jacqueline took some time off from rowing to begin working and taking classes at Long Beach City College. She returned to rowing as a coach for LBJC in 2008 and has helped the novice and varsity women’s crew get their gold medals at regionals and nationals.