Ritter Names Justin Andrade Assistant Swim Coach

By  //  July 12, 2013

four-year swimmer at Ashland University

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BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE – Florida Tech head coach Jeni Ritter has named Justin Andrade the new assistant coach for the Panthers’ men’s and women’s swim teams.

Justin Andrade
Justin Andrade

Ritter, who graduated from Ashland University in 2001, is excited to have Andrade as a member of her staff.

“It is great to have Justin on staff,” she said.

“We are lucky to come from very similar backgrounds, both growing up in Columbus, Ohio and being members of the Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio (GCSTO) under head coach Steve Nye and then swimming collegiately at Ashland University under head coach Paul Graham. I know Justin brings a lot of positive energy and knowledge to our program. He is going to be working with our sprint groups as well as helping with our strength and conditioning program.”

IMPLEMENTING STRENGTH & CONDITIONING PROGRAM

Andrade comes to Melbourne from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, where he graduated in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. He was a member of the Ashland men’s swim team from 2009-13. During the 2011-12 season, he assisted the coaching staff with implementing a new strength and conditioning program for the team.

Jeni Ritter
Jeni Ritter

“I am so thankful for the opportunity given to me by Athletics Director Bill Jurgens and head coach Jeni Ritter,” Andrade said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better environment at FIT and a better coaching staff to join. We are excited to get working towards the upcoming season.”

While in college, Andrade worked with local swimming programs by creating dry-land and in-water workouts, fine-tuning swimmers’ strokes through video analysis, and planning swim meets and daily schedules for swimmers ages 5-18. In addition, he has worked with Master swimmers.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity given to me by Athletics Director Bill Jurgens and head coach Jeni Ritter,” Andrade said. “I couldn’t ask for a better environment at FIT and a better coaching staff to join. We are excited to get working towards the upcoming season.”

From 2009 to Aug. 2011, Andrade worked as an aquatics supervisor and swimming instructor at Lifetime Fitness in Dublin, Ohio, teaching swim lessons, stroke mechanics and water survival skills.

CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

He is a certified personal trainer via the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and has worked as a self-employed personal trainer since March 2011.

Bill Jurgens
Bill Jurgens

From Aug. 2012 to May 2013, he worked as an Ashland fitness and wellness intern. During summer 2012, Andrade was an intern for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he evaluated and provided feedback on the army health programs and designed fitness and wellness programs for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA).

At Ashland, Andrade was the Alpha Gamma Omega Nu Health Sciences Honorary Award recipient and was the Exercise Science Major of the Year in 2012.