Staff
LAPSS has always employed the finest swimming instructors on the Seacoast, and our current staff is no exception. With over 75 years of combined teaching experience our current staff currently includes Ann Grinnell, Eliza Hazen and Patty Fate. Currently we teach at the Microtel in York, The Portsmouth Indoor Pool and at people’s private pools and Pierce Island (in Portsmouth) in the summer time.
Ann started teaching at the age of 14 and has never stopped. She started in Massachusetts working for Marjorie Martin and followed Marjorie to Maine in 1975. Marjorie, Sue Smith and Paula Ledgett taught for many years at Marjorie’s lap pool on Gerrish Island. Ann built the indoor pool complex in Kittery Point in 1985 and all of the students moved to the new pool. It is the love of children that keeps Ann teaching and a commitment to having all enjoy the water AND to be safe.
Eliza Hazen joined LAPSS in the summer of 2008. She was taught by Ann from the age of two and is a perfect match for our program. She was 13 when she started teaching, near the same age as Ann when she started. She is now a Freshman at Berwick Academy and is on the school swim team. She loves sports and for two years has ridden her bike in the Pan Mass challenge. The students love Eliza an she is a natural fit to our program.
Patty Fate joined LAPSS in 2009. She has 30 years of teaching experience working for the Portsmouth Recreation Department. She has taught all over the Seacoast from young students at the Portsmouth pool and Pierce Island to coaching the Portsmouth Swim Team (PST), the Portsmouth High Swim Team (PHS) and the Exeter Swim Team (EST). She is also certified Adaptive Aquatics teacher. Currently she has added to her students a school of pre-schooler who come the the Microtel in York on a weekly bases. Patty has the skills and the love of children that makes her an excellent swimming instructor.
