He comes to Clippers from Stingray Swim Club in Grand Cayman, where he was the head coach for seven years.

Swimming Background:

• Two years as an Assistant Coach for the University of Alabama Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams, working with Jonty Skinner, Olympic and Hall of Fame Coach, and former world record holder.
• 15 months of coaching for a USA Swimming Silver Medal Club, North Carolina Aquatic Club. Employed by Rich DeSelm, USA National Team Coach and Head Coach of the University of North Carolina at the time.
• One year of coaching for a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club, the FISH. Employed by Ray Benecki, former Olympic and World Championship Coach.
• Swam on two national championship teams at both high school and Division I NCAA levels.
• Coached by my father, Dennis Pursley, a former USA Olympic Coach, National Team Director for USA Swimming, and ASCA Hall of Fame inductee.
• Coached by Frank Busch who is a former USA Olympic Coach and 2008 NCAA Coach of the Year at the University of Arizona.
• Coached by former USA Olympic coach, Bill Rose, at the Mission Viejo Nadadores.
• Nine years of championship competitive swimming and captain roles at both high school and Division I NCAA levels.

Coach Chris Fay has been around the sport of swimming for 28 years, starting in summer league, all the way to a division I scholarship at Marist College, then to top 10 age group rankings in Masters, he couldn't leave the sport if he tried! Coach Chris started his coaching career the same place he started his swimming career, in the ever-popular summer leagues in Northern Virginia. For 5 years coach Chris lead multiple age groups at Potomac Marlins, a Bronze Medal Club in PVS, before a short stint in Charlottesville at Charlottesville YMCA (now Gold Medal Club Cavalier Aquatics).

From 2016-2021 he had the pleasure of working with 13 & Overs at Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC) in New York. Every year from 2016-2021 LIAC was a Gold Medal Team ranked as one of the top 10 best teams in the country. 

The past two seasons Chris was the Head Age Group coach of another storied program, Pine Crest Swim Team, a Silver Medal club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From summer 2021 to summer 2022 Pine Crest went from 6 to 26 Junior Olympic qualifiers. Chris' 13-14 year old swimmers won events at the Junior Olympic meet, set team records, scored at the Florida State HS championship, and much more. 

Chris has worked with incredible and legendary coaches as well as National Age Group Record Holders, Olympic Trial finalists, and Junior National Champions, but still gets just as excited for a first Age Group Champs cut or first time swimming the 200 fly. He is thrilled that his coaching journey has brought him to the Clippers, a place with great history, and working with a great group of coaches and swimmers.

Melissa is currently the lead coach of the Schooner group. She is an original Clipper starting in 1979, then went onto Ohio University to swim and because of injury became the lead manager helping the head coach with all things that is involved in running a college team. After that Joe pulled her into coaching the Clippers in 1987 and she has focused on the 10 & unders mainly ever since.

 She has also filled other roles as the program has matured. One key role has been a mentor to coaches that became lead coaches in other groups.

Melissa and Joe have taken a couple breaks in the 35+ years to have and raise their 3 children.  Melissa has a degree in elementary education and currently works for a development and property management company.  

Melissa wants the new swimmers to learn to love swimming but also encourages them to understand the value of the challenge of training. Her favorite statement is “Get comfortable being Uncomfortable”
 
 
 
 

Marcie has been with the Clippers as a coach, swimmer, and parent for over 40 years. She has coached every group on the team. She is currently the lead coach for Dinghies, where her coaching career started. She puts the fun into Learn to Swim. Her goal is to have each one of her swimmers to learn a LOVE for swimming that will last a lifetime. She is a lifetime Clipper that bleeds BLUE & GOLD. 

She has a daughter currently on the team in the Man of War group. 

She works full-time in property management with her sister Melissa. 

Joe has been coaching in some capacity with the Clippers since 1986 with a couple pauses to raise kids and watch kids in their college sports.  Joe has worked with every age group over his 30+ years of coaching with a lot of time  focusing on the 10&under development groups.  Currently he is working with Melissa in the Schooner group and fills in other groups when needed.

 Joe also works full time for the Kroger company (35+ years) in the Technology area. 

He and Melissa have 3 children that participated with the program at all levels of the program.  He  particularly enjoys working with the 10&unders and helping them grow from learning to swim to learning to train.  He feels swimming is a great preparation for life and believe the experiences teach the kids life skills that they will use well into adulthood.  

Julie has been a swim instructor for over 40 years, and a Clipper coach for 23 of those years. Her love for swimming began in the NKSL at Beechwood Swim Club. She also swam for the Clippers and Notre Dame Academy.

While coaching for the Clippers, her main focus has been with the 10 and under age groups, and she has also spent time assisting with the 11-12’s.

She has 4 kids who swam for the Clippers, all of whom she coached as 8 and unders.

Julie has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and works full time for Duke Energy.