The Pittsburgh Flying Fish Heads (FFH) is an independent United States Masters Swimming program affiliated with the Fox Chapel Killer Whales.
Founded in 2014, we are a USMS Gold team and currently offer practices 7 days a week, all year long. We typically swim outdoors between Memorial Day and Labor Day and indoors during the school year. The Fish Heads program is run entirely by volunteers.
Meet the leadership team
Sheila Clifford
We are grateful for Sheila’s expertise in budgets, reconciliation, and all thing money management.
Libby Ernharth
Libby is the FFH Founder, dreamer, chief water negotiator, and has been making FFH magic happen since 2014.
Bree Rice
Bree packs her patience as the registrar extraordinaire and manager of enrollment!
Lindsay Wood
Lindsay wears many hats including head coach, chief cheerleader, lover of streamlined swimming.
Meet the coaches
FFH Lead Coach and an assistant coach for the Fox Chapel Killer Whales, Lindsay spent her earliest years accompanying her swim coach dad to age group practices. As an adult, she is a nationally (USMS) and internationally (FINA) top-ranked backstroker. As a coach, Lindsay strives to cultivate a welcome and friendly experience for swimmers of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. Her cardinal rule for swimmers is to "be kind and streamline."
Dan has been coaching swimming for over 30 years and has built a reputation as one of the best in the business.
Bob, aka YBC, converted from soccer player to swimmer in 2017 and has been swimming with fins ever since. Bob is most famous for being the undisputed “Fin Kicking Champion of the World”. Bob is all about good vibes on deck. There are two guarantees during YBC’s practices: you will jam out to good music and you will smile. Fair warning, it might be from enjoyment, might be from Bob’s coercion - but either way you will leave practice feeling great!
Lea is a D.C. native who grew up swimming for the Nation’s Capital Swim Club and then came to the University of Pittsburgh as a D1 swimmer in 2017. After her freshman year she stopped swimming at Pitt, took 3 years off and then joined the Flying Fish Heads in August of 2020. Lea has really loved swimming with the FFH and is hoping to give back as a coach!
Rhian is a swimmer, rower, and has been principal piccolo with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 1990. Rhian joined the FFH on deck in Fall 2022.
Matt joined our coaching team in the summer of 2023 and is a USMS Level 2 Coach and Official. When he isn’t coaching FFH, the Killer Whales, athletes or triathletes, you'll catch Matt training for his next triathlon, learning to fly, or consulting businesses on engineering and leadership.
Matt, a standout swimmer at Yale, now competes all over the country as a masters swimmer. He regularly swims at Masters Nationals and other local and regional competitions in long course and short course events. Matt also serves as an assistant coach with the Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club.
Scott joined our coaching team in the fall of 2022. He was a top 5 Age Group (Canadian) Nationally ranked swimmer in the 50 freestyle with Oakville Aquatic Club and swam for Brock University in college. He is married to his very pretty wife Tricia who are proud parents of Leia (swimmer at WestPenn Edinboro University - Psychology), Nathan (swimmer at The College of New Jersey - Computer Engineering) and Lucas (makes your morning doughnuts at Dunkin). When Scott is not on the pool deck coaching or swimming you will find him showing his favorite dog Brie.
While Katie is a chemist by day, she spends most of her free time in water as a masters swimmer, synchronized swimmer, and rower. She has swum and won a range of long and short course masters swimming events and also trains with a masters team in Ft. Lauderdale.