Coach Dave has been with the Sea Dogs since he joined the team as a 10/u swimmer in the fall of 2009. He spent 7 years with the team as a swimmer, in which time he participated at some of the highest levels of the sport. His tenure with the Sea Dogs as a swimmer included the following accolades, among others;

• 2016 US Olympic Trials qualifier in the 200 IM
• YMCA National Meet Record in the 200m Butterfly
• Two Connecticut state records
• Three Eastern Zone Age Group meet records
• Four YMCA National Championship titles (two individually and two relays)
• 25+ Sea Dog team records

David went on to swim collegiately at the University of Connecticut where he remains as the school's record holder in the 100 and 200 Butterfly. His time coaching began while at UConn, coming back to CDOG in the summers to help coach the Buccaneer and Age Group programs. After a year away in 2020, he has been on deck with the team continuously since 2021.

Currently, Coach Dave's work with the Junior group focuses on preparing and training swimmers to make the transition from Age Group to Senior level swimming. Every swimmer in the group is met where they are at, whether their goals are their first Connecticut Age Group cut or their first YMCA Nationals cut. His coaching philosophy is centered on the idea that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. The training environment is kept light, loose, and energetic to provide the most comfortable atmosphere for all swimmers. At the same time, he provides all his swimmers with challenges and encourages them to take accountability for their own training, seeing them as necessary components in successfully transitioning into Senior-level swimming.

Lexi is entering her fifth year of coaching, bringing a lifelong passion for swimming and a diverse background in athlete development to the pool deck. She began swimming competitively at the age of eight and competed for the Cheshire YMCA Sea Dogs from 2014–2018 while also swimming for Cheshire High School. During her high school career, her graduating class compiled an impressive 44–0 dual meet record and captured the Connecticut Class L State Championship title during her senior season. She continued her athletic career at the Division I level at Merrimack College, where she served as a team captain and earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.

Lexi recently completed her Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Human Performance at Southern Connecticut State University, further expanding her knowledge of athlete development, performance enhancement, and long-term training principles.

For three years, Lexi served as the Head Junior Group Coach for the Southington YMCA RAYS Swim Team, working with swimmers across multiple stages of development—from foundational age group athletes to Zone-level competitors. She is currently the Head Age Group Coach for the Cheshire YMCA Sea Dogs, where she oversees three developmental training groups for swimmers ages 8–10 and serves as the lead coach for the Age Group program, working primarily with athletes ages 9–12. In this role, she focuses on technical skill development, race strategy, and long-term athlete growth.

In addition to her coaching experience, Lexi has a strong foundation in strength and conditioning. She holds the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential and is also a certified spinning instructor. Drawing from her experiences as a Division I athlete, swim coach, and strength and conditioning professional, she designs comprehensive dryland programs that emphasize athletic development, injury prevention, and long-term success, helping swimmers reach their potential both in and out of the water.

Lexi’s coaching philosophy centers on meeting the individual needs of each athlete while fostering both performance improvement and personal growth. She utilizes visual demonstrations, written feedback, and individualized goal-setting to support different learning styles and help swimmers understand the purpose behind their training. By blending a goal-oriented approach with a swimmer-focused mindset, she defines success through meaningful progress, consistency, and effort rather than results alone. She is committed to creating a positive, engaging environment where athletes feel supported, challenged, and confident. Above all, Lexi strives to develop well-rounded individuals by instilling discipline, resilience, leadership, and a lifelong love for the sport.

Rosanne is an experienced swimming coach who has coached age-group swimmers since 2005 and has been part of the Sea Dogs coaching staff since 2014, where she primarily works with the 12 & under program. She is passionate about developing strong technical foundations and fostering confidence in young swimmers at the early stages of their competitive careers.  She grew up in Hamden, Connecticut, where she swam competitively for Hamden High School and served as team captain. She went on to compete at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, on a Division I swimming scholarship, where she also served as team captain. While at Rider, she set team records in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650-yard freestyle events.  Rosanne graduated cum laude from Rider University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and later earned her MBA. She currently works full-time as a Business Analyst for Southern Connecticut State University. She lives in Cheshire with her husband and three daughters, all of whom were competitive swimmers with the Sea Dogs and went on to swim at the collegiate level.

Coach Francesca brings more than 20 years of experience teaching and coaching developmental swimmers throughout Connecticut. A former National-level swimmer with the YMCA Cheshire Sea Dog Swim Club, she returned to the CDOG coaching staff in 2025 as Lead Coach for the Buccaneers developmental groups and Assistant Coach for the Age Group program.

Francesca first joined the Cheshire Sea Dogs coaching staff in 2010, where she coached Pre-Team, Buccaneers, and Age Group swimmers through 2016 before leaving to pursue graduate studies and a law degree. Throughout her coaching career, she has also worked with developmental and age group programs at Sonoco Aquatics Club and the New Fairfield Aquaflyers, in addition to coaching senior-level swimmers, serving as an Assistant Coach for Brookfield High School Girls Swimming & Diving and Western Connecticut State University Women’s Swimming & Diving.

As a collegiate athlete at Western Connecticut State University, she was named Team MVP three times, earned All-Little East Conference honors as a two-time LEC Champion in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, and was selected to the All-New England Team during all four collegiate seasons. Francesca still holds seven individual school records and was a member of four record-setting relay teams. She also received the Eastern College Athletic Conference Award of Valor.

Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Connecticut State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Professionally, she serves as an Assistant Attorney General.

Her coaching philosophy centers on creating a fun, safe, and athlete-focused environment where swimmers can thrive. She emphasizes strong technical fundamentals and efficient movement patterns tailored to each athlete’s unique abilities. Beyond performance in the pool, Francesca encourages personal growth, confidence, and character development, helping swimmers become the best versions of themselves both as athletes and as individuals.