Inside RBCS » Athletics » Varsity Sports » Swimming
Karen Linder
Coach: Varsity - Swimming
Born in Brooksville, Florida Raised in Orlando, Florida. Karen has been coaching and teaching since 1986 and began her career at the Downtown YMCA in Central Florida. She started part time with the YMCA's in Central Florida while maintaining a 21 year sales career in the building industry. In 1998 the owner's of the Orlando Magic, Rich DeVos& family, built a $72 million dollar World Class fitness and training facility, the RDV Sportsplex, for the Central Florida Communities, and Karen was offered the USA Club Swimming Head Coaching position.After retiring hersales career in 2002, she continued to focus on coaching full time, coaching USA Club Swimming and a novice/recreational swim team with Orangewood Christian School in Maitland, Florida. With a student body of about 900, in 1998, Orangewood had about a hundred students swimming. In 1999, Karen was given the opportunity to coach FHSAA High School Swimming for another 1A school in Central Florida, Circle Christian School, where she learned the ropes of High School Swimming. After starting the team in 1999 and sitting out their first year of eligibility, CCS girls were on the map, qualifying for State Championships seven years in a row. To further her career in the sport of swimming, Coach Anthony Nesty, Assistant Head Coach of the Florida Gators, invited Karen to join the UF Gator Summer staff in assisting their camps. Working with the UF coaches gave hernew goals for training young athletes, and perspective on coaching High School swimming. In 2006 Karen's husband was promoted with his company, and for the first time,the Lindersmoved from the Central Florida area, where Karen grew up, to the Panhandle in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Karen continued to travel back and forth to Orlando coaching and training other instructors and coaches in the sport of swimming. She was no longer able to commit to coaching swimming full time, but continued to build the RDV Sportsplex Coaching and Aquatic staff. In 2009,She decided to return to Central Florida and went back to her roots with Orangewood Christian School for my final season, in Orlando, of High School Swimming. With a lot of prayer, and God opening many doors, Karen began a new tradition in the sport of swimming at RBCS (Rocky Bayou Christian School). With a lot of prayer, and determination, Karen is seeking to duplicate many years of success at RBCS and the Niceville YMCA Water Therapy and Wellness Center and grow in partnerships, fellowship, and friendship in the great sport of swimming, health and wellness. We are so grateful for our partnerships with the YMCA's,CEO Joe Casal& Donna Hamilton, Dragon Sports in Ft. Walton Beach, the support of local coaches, Pam Bassethwith Ft. Walton Beach HS, Coach Jamie Garea with Choctaw HS, and Coach KathyRitacco with Niceville HS. Given a small amount of time, and God's grace, we will all reap the benefits of being in the water. It is a lifelong venture to swim, and there's never been a better time to be part of RBCS, and the YMCA's. With Doc Mosley sitting at the helm and Lisa Eaves, our new athletic director, RBCS is moving forward with positive and exciting zeal for change. We are "TEAM ROCKY"!
