"Coaches"

Crystalia began her coaching career in Virginia in 2009 while still a competitive swimmer and became certified to coach with USAAS in 2012.

After a serious injury, she was graciously granted the opportunity to live out the entrepreneurship dream of her own team and started the Aqua Angels Synchro Team, in 2014. Her heartfelt desire is to offer opportunities to the community to learn and admire this beautiful sport in a compassionate, safe atmosphere where athletes can thrive while also learning life skills.

Crystalia also assisted the College of William and Mary’s collegiate synchro team, helping to choreograph their routines and perfect their figures. After completing three successful years with the Aqua Angels, Crystalia put the team on hiatus and moved to Florida in 2017 for educational purposes; and joyfully served as head coach of the Gainesville Gaviatas for four years.

After completing a USAAS internship in the summer of 2021, conducted by two premier USA coaches, Ludi Perrin-Stsepaniuk and Hiea-Yoon Kang, she returned to Gainesville and revived the Aqua Angels Artistic Swimming Team.

Currently, Crystalia is a USAAS CCP level 3 coach and level 2 judge. Over the years, her coaching philosophy and strategies have been enhanced by teaching several camps and clinics, attending annual clinics, coaches college, conventions, sports and child psychology, and emotional intelligence classes. Additionally, she enjoys and highly values being mentored and critiqued by well-established, elder coaches, directors, and champions, which began at a young age and continues today. 

These relationships and over a decade of coaching experience with athletes of all ages greatly influenced her when developing the team’s core values. Crystalia wholeheartedly believes athletes are more receptive to positivity and compassion as it builds mutual respect and trust.  She also believes it builds confidence by encouraging the athlete’s participation in how they express themselves artistically, teaching them to follow their heart, and learning to trust in their own creativeness and decision-making abilities by validating their ideas and implementing them into their choreography.  

Continuing her passion for sharing this beautiful, creative sport with the community, she believes in cultivating the next generation of confident, compassionate coaches and athletes to be valuable assets in their personal prosperity and of our evolving sport.

Presently, Crystalia is pursuing her education in Leadership and Sports Management, as well as, Physical Therapy to prevent injuries specific to artistic swimming. She also enjoys kayaking, reading, and painting, but as you probably can presume, artistic swimming is her primary passion and joy.

You can reach Coach Crystalia at aquaangelsas@gmail.com.