Meet the Coaches

Ashley Gleason

I started swimming when I was three. My uncle was part of the special recreation program at the park district and they swam at Bogan High school Every week. I got the pleasure of learning how to swim with them. I swam competitively for Curie High School from 1998-2002. Most recently I swam on the Masters team at Eisenhower.

I have had a unique pleasure of watching the team flourish from the sidelines for the last 5 seasons, as a parent. I am also a passionate 3rd grade teacher. I believe all these qualities will make me a great coach for the team and I'm so excited to be stepping to the other side of the rail.

Taylor Burmeister

I joined the E.A.S.C. when I was 8 years old, and haven't stopped swimming since. I started coaching for E.A.S.C. as a Junior Coach while I was a swimmer for Eisenhower High School. After graduating from D.D.E. in 2010, I went to Wittenberg University, where I majored in English. I swam all four years at Witt, swimming butterfly and distance freestyle, and was Captain my senior year. 

After graduating in 2014, I accepted the position as D.D.E. Boy's Team Assistant Coach, and was excited for the opportunity to restart my former club team. I have since been promoted to Head Coach at Eisenhower.

Jane Healy

​I was always playing in the local pool as a kid because I loved being in the water (I was a *fish*).  Even though I took swim lessons, I didn’t join a team until I got to high school.  I tried out on a whim because my best friend did.  Surprise, I made the team!  It was a life changer. Four years later I ended up holding a conference record for backstroke and competed in the State swim meet in the 100 back and 4 x100 Free Relay.
 
I coached in Connecticut right after college for 3 years. When I returned to Illinois, I was head coach at Mother McAuley High School while I was teaching there in the early 90s.  I taught and coached (both boys and girls) at Bremen High School for the next 7 years until I decided to stay at home to raise my kids.  Later I coached for E.A.S.C. for 3 years.  And here I am, back again!  I look forward to working with your children this coming swim season.  I am exceedingly proud of the progress that they make to become better athletes.   

I also run the Blue Island Bicycle Club, a community orientated bike club for kids.

Jeannette Valdez

My swimming career began at the age of thirteen, my passion for teaching and coaching swimming to young swimmers began my freshman year of high school. After high school, I started to coach with swim clubs and taught lessons at the Blue Island Park District every year. I made my way to coaching with E.A.S.C. for the Fall/Winter season and cannot wait to continue my coaching career with the Sea Demons.

Being a part of the E.A.S.C. Sea Demons coaching staff is very rewarding in many ways. They always go above and beyond for any swimmer and swim parent.
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Alan Melgar

​I began to swim at the age of fifteen when I joined the Eisenhower High School school swim team as a sophomore with the intention to learning how to swim. Over my years of swimming, I always strived to become faster and more efficient in the water. I improved by watching swimming footage videos and  working with my swim coaches. I began my experience as a junior coach when I was in high school while I was still a competitive swimmer. After graduating, I became a USA Swimming certified swim coach. I enjoy helping swimmers reach their potential and accomplish their personal goals. 

Jenna Lynch

Swimming was always something I had enjoyed doing. I began swimming for Eisenhower Area Swim Club in the 5th grade but unfortunately, the team was disbanded only a few years later. When I came to high school it was hard to get me out of the water. I became a lifeguard, and I swam for the high school team, swimming mostly distance events. Freshman year, I was also introduced to one of my favorite sports, water polo.

​I began coaching for EASC in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the environment I was in.  Since 2016 I have had the honor of watching the team grow and take extreme pride in how the team continues to improve constantly. Being able to push a swimmer to be the best they can be is one of the most rewarding feelings in the universe.