BC Artistic Swimming is pleased to announce that Stephen Pledger has joined as our new High Performance Manager. Steve brings with him a Master of Science Degree in Strength and Conditioning (Merit) in addition to a wealth of experience and success from his extensive career leading high-performance teams in elite and Olympic sports. His proven track record and deep expertise make him an excellent fit for this pivotal role in our organization. Steve currently works for the Vancouver Whitecaps as 1st Team Rehab and Strength Lead Coach and will continue to support the club while bringing his expertise to artistic swimming.

Steve's career highlights include working across various teams and collaborating with diverse coaches, which has finely tuned his communication and interdisciplinary working skills. He values a personable approach to team building, combined with a strong focus on tasks and strategic goals. Steve has successfully implemented strategic plans with efficiency and alignment across pathways ensuring that all voices are heard, and their input is valued.

During his tenure in Olympic and Paralympic sports, Steve played a crucial role in identifying and developing national talent. He utilized his sports science and research expertise to create processes that identified youth potential across national networks. These efforts included implementing diagnostic and monitoring strategies to track athlete progress and providing informed recommendations to national leadership.

Steve also has extensive experience working with youth athletes in multiple sports, which has solidified his knowledge of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD). He has successfully developed systems to monitor skill and physical development throughout age-grade pathways and has delivered coach education programs that are easily understood and effectively implemented across networks.

Steve’s approach to communication is a cornerstone of his success. He has consistently maintained clear and effective communication with external partners, including executive directors and board members, ensuring alignment across all levels of an organization. His commitment to two-way communication guarantees that all parties have clarity and that valuable insights are always considered.

We are thrilled to have Steve on board and are confident that his expertise and leadership will drive the continued success of our high-performance programs. Please join us in welcoming Steve to the BC Artistic Swimming team!

For more information, Steve can be contacted at hpm@bcartisticswimming.ca.