Mike Rutledge (Head Coach & Gold I)

Mike has been the Head Coach of the Mississauga Aquatic Club since 2004.  Mike has been involved in the sport of competitive swimming for over 25 years as a swimmer and coach with his career at MSSAC starting in 1996. As a swimmer Mike was a member of Ontario’s 1989 Canada Games Team, representing the North York Aquatic Club.  He was also selected to Canada’s 1990 Olympic Development Team.  His swimming performances earned Mike a full scholarship at Texas A&M University where he earned Letter Award all four years.  He graduated with a Degree in Sociology and a minor in Economics.  As a coach he has quickly produced excellent results.  During his years with Mississauga, Mike has had many National and Provincial Champions.  Swimmers routinely break Club Records and achieve Club All Time Top Ten performances under Mike’s leadership.  Mike has received Provincial and National coaching recognitions including Ontario coach of the year in 2002.  Mike was also selected as assistant coach on the Ontario Team in 2006 and Head coach in 2007.  He has also received Domestic Excellence Awards in 2007 and 2008.  Mike believes that success in competitive swimming comes from hard work and dedication over time.  Family support is also important - swimmers do not succeed without it.

Meghan McDonnell (MSDC Director)

Meghan has been part of Mississauga Swimming for the last 17 years. For 8 of those years was a swimmer, competing at the National level for 4 years.  She trained side by side with some of MSSAC’s greatest swimmers like Andrew Hurd and Chuck Sayao.  She was a part of the girls 4x100 freestyle relay team in 1994 that smashed the Ontario record and held this title for the last 14 years.  Not only was she an Ontario record holder but her relay team has set many club recorders. Meghan is still mentioned in MSSAC’s all time top ten for the 50 Free and 100 Free.  Meghan is currently working towards her level Ii coach coaching certification. She obtained a diploma from Humber College for Early Childhood Education and is currently enrolled at York University to attain a profession in teaching. Meghan has spent many years studying the importance of child and youth development and the importance a well balanced active and healthy lifestyle has in developing a child to their fullest potential.    Meghan will be on deck coaching during all the Wave 1 practices as well as coaching once per week for each of the Wave 2 programs.  Meghan has recruited a team of coaches that will be working with her under her direct supervision.  These coaches will be mentored by Meghan throughout the season creating better quality coaching for the entire MSDC program. She is anxious to hit the water and start helping these young athletes set goals and achieve their dreams.

Darren Ward (Gold II & Silver I)

Darren comes to Mississauga Aquatic Club with over 25 years of competitive swimming experience.  During this time Darren was a member of the Canadian National Swim Team for 10 years and won over 50 individual and relay medals at the National Championships.  Darren has represented Canada at every major international swimming competition including 2 Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992.  Darren won the 1992 World Swimming Cup for the Individual Medley category and sites this accomplishment as his career highlight. During his swimming career Darren was coached by some of the most knowledgeable and respected swim coaches in the world, including Derek Snelling, Bud Mcallister and UCLA coach Ron “Stix” Ballatore.  Darren’s coaching philosophies have been influenced by each of them. In 1995 Darren retired from competitive swimming to start his coaching career.  His first stop was with the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club in Alberta.  Followed by his first Head Coaching post in Saskatoon with the Saskatoon Lasers where he spent three seasons.  Darren then moved to Ontario to coach the Tillsonburg Aquatic Torpedoes where he headed a movement to amalgamate the Piranhas of Woodstock with his Tillsonburg Club.  The result is what is now known as South Western Aquatics. Darren has coached over 40 swimmers to over 300 individual TAG rankings and 7 Provincial Records in Alberta and Saskatchewan Swim Coach of years in 1998. Darren’s philosophy is simple.  Dedication, commitment and perseverance are the key ingredients to any swimmers long term success and he tries to instil these values in every one of his swimmers.

Andrea Pittis (Bronze I & support for Bronze III)

Andrea has been coaching with the Mississauga Aquatic Club since 2003.  Andrea has over 25 years of swimming experience as swimmer and coach.  As a swimmer for 15 years Andrea has memories of competing for his home county of Italy and the pride that goes along with that.  He brings the passion of his own memories to his coaching.   Andrea is now dedicated to coaching and education.  He obtained an Honours degree in Physical Education in Florence, Italy, and an Honours degree in Kinesiology at York University in Toronto.  As an age group coach and Head Coach, he has developed national swimmers in Italy and Canada. Andrea believes that young children are always looking for new learning experiences, new challenges and new goals to achieve.  Swimming provides them with the opportunity to learn new skills and build necessary confidence to face and overcome any challenge, and enjoy success.  He believes that swimming provides opportunities to make new friends, develop healthy habits, become independent, earn a good education, and travel.  Thanks to swimming Andrea was able to get a scholarship and visit more than 10 foreign countries such as Austria, Yugoslavia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Russia and Japan. 

Scott Kowalczewski (Silver II)

Mike Gurgol (Consultant)

Mike has coached for nearly 30 years.  Mike coaching experience included Head Coach of Queen’s University, Prince George, Trent Swim Club, North York Aquatic Club, as well as assistant coaching with Pickering Swim Club, Oakville Aquatic Club, Scarborough Swim Club, and the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays.  He was also technical performance coach with Richmond Hill and Mississauga.  Mike is Level 3 Certified Swimming Coach.  He was Head coach of the 1993 Ontario Canada Games Team and 1990 Ontario Age Group Tour Team. During his coaching career Mike has had athlete compete at the Olympic Games, Pan Pacific Championships, and Macabi Games.  Mike has coached swimmers to top ranking in Canada in every stroke and every distance.