Tiger Swim Club

Emily is a former NCAA Division I swimmer who competed for Texas A&M University under Coach Steve Bultman. 

She began swimming at age 3 with the Villager Piranhas Summer League team in Houston, where she swam through age 18, cherishing every race, friendship, and team experience. 

During her junior and senior years of high school, Emily swam with Westside High School. In her senior year, she also swam with Dad’s Club Swim Team. She earned a 5th-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle at the 2002 UIL State Championships in Austin, Texas. She also set the Westside High School 50-yard freestyle record (24.11), which still stands today, over two decades later. 

Emily has several seasons of coaching experience, working with both her summer league team and Dad’s Club Swim Team. Most recently, she has had the honor of working as Assistant Coach alongside Coach Abbott at St. John XXIII College Preparatory, helping swimmers build team spirit, skills, confidence, and a love for the sport. 

She is excited to be a part of the Tiger Swim Club, joining the team in fostering a racing spirit and the joy of summer swimming— bringing the same energy and excitement she experienced every summer on the Villager Piranhas Summer League team.

Lilli started swimming in a WHALe summer league at the age of 3 (before the minimum age was officially changed to 4), and she started club-level swimming at the age of 6. She attended St. John XXIII College Preparatory High School and qualified for State every year in both individual events and relays. 

Lilli is now at Mississippi State University studying kinesiology with plans to pursue a career in Pediatric Physical Therapy. Over the years, she has volunteered her time helping young swimmers improve their stroke techniques. Lilli served as a Tiger Buddy and thoroughly enjoyed working with the young swimmers before becoming a coach for Tiger Swim Club in 2023. Her favorite events are breaststroke and IM. Lilli is a certified Red Cross Lifeguard. She is excited to return and be part of the Tiger coaching staff for her fourth season to support, mentor, and inspire swimmers to grow their skills over the season.

Mae began learning how to swim at 9 years old at Tompkins High school, then began swimming in a local summer team at the age of 12. Once finding her passion for swimming, she joined their club team and then joined her high school team.

She currently attends Saint John XXIII College Preparatory School as a junior and has qualified for state all 3 years. Her junior year she qualified for all her events, in both relays and individual, with her favorite event being the 500 freestyle.

Mae then discovered Tiger Swim Club through Coach Abbott, her school swim coach, and joined the 2022 season. She served as a Tiger Buddy in the 2023 season and developed a great enjoyment for helping out with the little ones.

Mae is a certified Red Cross Lifeguard. After having lots of fun helping out Tiger Swim Club as a Tiger buddy, she is very excited to get the opportunity as a Junior coach for Tiger Swim Club.

Valerie started swimming in a Northwest league at the age of 6. She currently attends St. John XXIII College Preparatory where she is part of the swim team and has qualified for State for the past 2 years in both individual events and relays. Her signature stroke is butterfly. Valerie is certified as a Red Cross Lifeguard. In addition to being a TSC Junior Coach, she is also a KISD Aquatics lifeguard. Valerie is grateful to be part of the Tiger coaching staff to assist, guide, and motivate young swimmers to grow and strengthen their skills over the 2024 season.

Adalyne began swimming at the age of three. Since then she has been a part of 3 different summer league teams over the years. She has loved every second of it. She joined the Katy High School swim team her freshman year. Now as a sophomore, she has placed multiple times at the JV district meets. She has been a Tiger Buddy for 2 years. She really enjoys helping kids learn to swim and improve upon their swimming skills. Her favorite stroke is the back stroke. Her favorite event is the 50 free. She can’t wait to work along side the coaches and fellow junior coaches this season to improve herself and the team!

Silas began swimming at age 5 and joined a local swim team at age 7. He has been a Tiger Buddy for the last two years and enjoys encouraging and mentoring younger swimmers. Currently a homeschooled sophomore, Silas is passionate about endurance sports, and loves to participate in triathlons, track cycling and distance running. His favorite stroke is freestyle, and most enjoyed event is anything 50 yards and up. He is looking forward to a great summer swim season!

Coach Abbott is the original Tiger Swim Club head coach, having started TSC -and- WHALe in 1985. He was head swim coach at Katy HS 1980-2005 until his "first retirement", then started and coached the swim team at St. John XXIII College Preparatory 2006-2018 until his "second retirement", then took the SJ23 reins again in 2021 where he just finished his 16th year with the Lions. His Katy HS girls and boys teams have been District and Region Champions, and his SJ23 girls and and boys teams have multiple Region Championship titles and 3 STATE TITLES for the girls. After a break from TSC to coach club and Masters at DADS Club and Katy Aquatics from the early 1990s to the 20-"teens", he has been coaching and mentoring at TSC for the past 12 summers and thinks this will be the best summer yet. Again!

He is a former high school swimmer from Miami, FL, swam and was a record-holder at NCAA Division I Tulane University, and was assistant men's coach at The University of Texas 1978-80 with head UT and future 4-time US Olympic Coach Eddie Reese. "I think we have the best summer coaching staff in all of WHALe, and the best and hardest-working board and parent support group anywhere. Our Tiger Buddies and our other kids are just awesome, too!"