After one of the most successful seasons in Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA) history, Head Age Group Coach Hailey Hewitt and Senior Development Coach Diana Ross received much-deserved honors from Metropolitan Swimming.  

Coach Hailey was named Age Group Coach of the Year, presented to an age group coach who has shown excellence in coaching and fostering young athletes' growth and development. Hailey earned the award after leading the age group program to a first-place finish at the 2024 Eastern Zone Age Group Championships, and leading swimmers to top finishes and relay championships at the Junior Metropolitan Championships.  

 

Coach Diana was named Assistant Coach of the Year Award, which recognizes the invaluable contributions of an assistant coach who has gone above and beyond in supporting their team and head coach. This past season, Diana coached over 30 Sectionals qualifiers, along with multiple qualifiers for the USA Swimming Futures and Winter Junior National Meets. In addition, many of Diana’s former athletes went on to qualify for Summer Junior Nationals and compete collegiately. 

 

Last week, we sat down with Hailey and Diana to get their reactions to earning the awards and find out what made this season so successful for AGUA.  

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Can you tell us a about your careers in swimming?

Hailey: I started swimming because my mom was looking for something for my sister and me to do during the summer. So it started with my neighborhood team, and then my dad was in the Navy, so swimming became a constant in my life. I swam all through high school and into college. My college coach suggested I try coaching, and that's how I got into it. 

Diana: I started swimming because my mom and dad were the head coach of the local rec team. As I grew older, my dad became both my club and high school coach, which was really special. After coaching college for a few seasons, my college coach recommended me to work at Asphalt Green. 

How would you describe your approach to coaching? 

Hailey: For me, it's a mix of teaching the technical aspects like stroke mechanics and endurance, and building independent, confident athletes. I focus on creating connections with the kids, understanding their goals, fears, and motivations, and helping them believe in themselves. 

Diana: I put the human before the athlete. If they're not happy and proud of what they're doing, the results in the pool won't come. My approach stems from being coached with a lot of love by my father, and I try to carry that into my own coaching. 

What do you hope your swimmers take away from their time with you? 

Hailey: Besides a love for swimming, I want them to leave with life skills like resiliency, goal setting, and respect. We instill values of respect, accountability, and discipline in our swimmers from a young age, and we hope they carry that with them. 

Diana: I hope they know they always have a home here at AGUA and can come back if they ever need anything, but also that they've gained the skills Hailey mentioned for life after swimming. 

What made this past year so successful for you and your athletes? What were your personal highlights?

Hailey: It was a historic year for us, with 40 team records and multiple relay and metropolitan records. But this success has been building since we returned from the pandemic. Our entire staff has supported our team vision, and our win at the Eastern Zone Championship was a true team effort. Every age group performed well, and everyone supported each other, making it a really special and fun season.  

Diana: The success came from years of work by the other AGUA groups and staff. The athletes came into the season with strong self-belief, goals, and work ethic. The leadership from within the group, combined with all the prior coaching, made it a particularly rewarding season. 

Hailey, you were nominated as a top 50 group coach, and Age Group Coach of the Year. How does it feel to be recognized? 

Hailey: It’s a huge honor to be recognized as one of the top 50 group coaches out of over 19,000 coaches in USA Swimming, and even more so to be one of only nine women on that list. I’m really lucky to work in a program that supports my vision, and to have the resources and staff around me to achieve this. 

Diana, you were nominated for Assistant Coach of the Year. How does that feel? 

Diana: It was an honor to be recognized, especially since the award highlights contribution to the program and head coach, which aligns with my coaching philosophy. It’s a unique recognition, and I felt proud to be acknowledged for supporting our team.