Hamilton Mill Hammerheads

Hello Hammerheads, my name is Amy Smith, and I love the sport of swimming! I have been a lifelong swimmer. I grew up swimming summer league, progressed to year-round club teams, and then had the amazing opportunity of swimming 4 years at Clemson University. Go Tigers! I coached summer swim league teams throughout high school and college in addition to helping with swim camps at Clemson. I was a cardiac nurse for 10 years, focused on raising my three wonderful kiddos, and eventually made my way back to the swimming world. I have been the Head Coach for the Hamilton Mill Hammerheads since 2015. I am now a USA Swimming Certified Coach and have been a substitute coach for 5 years and now an Assistant Coach at Swim Atlanta for two years. My husband, Greg, and I have 3 wonderful children, Anna, Grace, and Luke. We have all been Hammerheads since 2011. We love being involved in the community and really enjoy being a part of the swim family of Hamilton Mill.

I am passionate about fitness, kids, and fun, so I couldn’t ask for a better job than coaching the Hamilton Mill Swim Team. My goal as the Hamilton Mill Head Coach is to help our swimmers learn stroke technique, gain endurance/fitness, and most importantly have a fun summer making memories with their friends in the water.

I like to focus on what I call the 5 C's of competitive swimming, which are consistency, character, courage, confidence, and comradery. We try to emphasize these characteristics while working on fundamentals with all of our Hammerheads. I look forward to working with our Assistant Coaches Joni Graves and Anna Smith along with all of our Junior Coaches this summer as we take the Hammerheads to the next level. Let’s have an amazing summer! Go Hammerheads!

Joni comes to us with an extensive coaching and swimming background. She has coached multiple high school, middle school, and summer league teams. In addition to coaching the Hamilton Mill Hammerheads, she also currently coaches at SwimAtlanta and Hebron Christian Academy, and has decades of experience teaching people of all ages and skill levels how to swim.

Her coaching days began during summer months while she attended Emory University where she ran cross country and track. She continued coaching throughout Metro Atlanta until she moved to Alaska where she worked as the Aquatics Director for a large health club. In the following years, she expanded her resume in the aquatics field in Portland, Or., and Vancouver, Wa. She coached record-setting swimmers in Portland and Vancouver before returning to Gwinnett County in 2005.

Currently, Joni coaches multiple groups at SwimAtlanta and is the Head Middle School Swim Team Coach and Assistant Varsity Swim Team Coach at Hebron Christian Academy where she also coaches Varsity Cross Country and Track. She has been the Assistant Coach of the Hammerheads since 2017. 

Hi Hammerheads! My name is Anna Smith, and I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) with a degree in Elementary Education and a true passion for working with children. I began swimming with the Hammerheads at age 7, swam competitively for 12 years, and have been coaching since 2019.

In addition to coaching, I spend my summers teaching private swim lessons, where I love helping swimmers build strong skills, confidence, and a love for the water. With my years of swimming and coaching experience, along with my background in education, I am dedicated to teaching proper stroke techniques, developing strong fundamentals, and creating a positive learning environment for every swimmer.

I believe that when swimmers feel safe, supported, and excited to learn, they can achieve incredible things—both in the pool and as teammates. I am so excited for another fun and successful summer with the Hammerheads. Go Hammerheads!

Corinne Dunnington

Jackson Fleming

Caroline Hurd

Jeremiah Knoll

Kennedy Martin

Camille Roberts

Evan Smola

Ava Syed

Addy Thompson