Niwot AD announces Kyle Bachrodt as new swim coach

Niwot High School athletic director Joe Brown has found his man in Kyle Bachrodt to take the reins for the Niwot swim team.

“I really couldn't be more excited,” Bachrodt said. “Niwot is a very well-known program in all of their athletics (and) all of their academics. I've had a few meetings with the other head coaches in all of the sports and with our AD, and I couldn't be more proud to be working alongside with all of those folks.”

Bachrodt, who grew up in Evergreen, attended the University of Colorado Boulder and helped win a national championship on CU’s club swim team. While in college, he also coached a club team in Evergreen. For the past 12 years, he has been a swim coach at the Boulder Country Club and was named aquatic director. Bachrodt is coming off a four-year gig coaching Boulder High School’s swim team.

“Once this Niwot position opened up, I thought that this was the right next move,” Bachrodt said. “(It was) a great opportunity and I had to jump at it. Having been in the Niwot/Gunbarrel area for the last 12 years, I've known a number of those families and a number of these swimmers.”

Bachrodt believes his familiarity with the local swim scene could pay dividends down the road. He has coached Niwot sophomores Rowan Lavigne and Cielle Burnett and has worked with junior Grace Shaw since she was 7-years-old.

Building off former head coach head coach Sarah Stamp’s, Bachrodt said he wants to keep developing the program the right way.

“That's (culture) really what makes a team successful or any program successful,” he said. “You can't just be thinking about one year at a time. You have to be thinking about the next two, three, five, 10 years down the road. It's not just about building a program and winning a state title once, it's trying to shoot for it and making us not only successful from a winning perspective, but successful from the girls being able to work well together, to get along and to all work towards the common goal.”

Niwot will be permitted to begin official practice the first week of January with meets starting soon after. Bachrodt hopes to also hold preseason workouts when cleared to do so. COVID-19 will certainly present challenges in 2021 and Bachrodt is hoping for a healthy inaugural season.

“(The) number one goal for this year is obviously to have a safe season,” Bachrodt said. “Hopefully (we can) get through with everybody remaining healthy and safe and being able to actually compete in all of our meets. And then, make it to league and then make it to state. The goal is really to be up there top in the state, if not the number one program for 4A schools.”