Mrs. Terri Byrd, Varsity Swim Coach at the all-girls Notre Dame Preparatory School, has been named Girls Swimming Coach of the Decade by the Varsity Sports Network (VSN).
Mrs. Byrd has served as NDP’s swim coach since 2006. During that time, the NDP Blazers won six Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) championships, five of those in the last decade, and six National Catholic Swimming Championships. In addition to the VSN honor, Mrs. Byrd was named Coach of the Year at the National Catholic Swimming and Diving Championships in 2011 and 2020, and the Blazers swim team has been honored by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) Academic All-American program the past 11 years.
Following Mrs. Byrd’s example, NDP swimmers are expected to put as much emphasis on service as they do in the pool and in the classroom. Annually, the award-winning coach and her swimmers can be found volunteering at Baltimore’s Franciscan Center, which provides emergency assistance to economically disadvantaged persons in Baltimore. This service, Mrs. Byrd believes, helps NDP’s athletes to remain grounded and to share their gifts in ways beyond athletics. “For a well-rounded athlete, [swimming] needs to be combined with academics and service. I expect them to always strive to be their best in and out of the pool.”
Notre Dame Preparatory School Headmistress, Sr. Patricia McCarron, SSND, Ph.D., celebrated the prestigious honor bestowed on her long-time coach, “Terri’s coaching talents and swimming expertise are a gift to her students. In addition, she has always encouraged them to work toward their personal best and to live out the NDP mission. We are deeply grateful to have someone in our midst who is so passionate about coaching and teaching and committed to her students.”
