Craig Charlson

Aquatics Director

Craig grew up in a small farming community in southwest Wisconsin and later graduated from the University of Minnesota. Over the past 25 years, his career in swimming has taken him from the Midwest to Oregon, New York City, and now Bakersfield. Through it all, he has remained grounded in the values he grew up with: hard work, teamwork, accountability, and caring about the people around you.

Craig has worked with swimmers at nearly every level of the sport, from beginners learning to swim to nationally competitive and Olympic-level athletes. He notably served as Director of Aquatics at Asphalt Green in New York City, where he led one of the city’s largest nonprofit aquatics programs, serving more than 10,000 swimmers annually and overseeing more than 200 coaches, instructors, lifeguards, managers, and coordinators. His responsibilities included learn-to-swim, community water-safety initiatives, recreational swimming, and competitive aquatics. He also provided executive oversight for the nationally recognized AGUA Swim Team, which consistently earned Silver and Gold Medal recognition through USA Swimming’s Club Excellence program.

Craig began his coaching career in Minnesota, including serving as a volunteer coach at the University of Minnesota during two Big Ten championship seasons and top-10 national finishes. He later became Director and Head Coach of Bearcat Swim Club in Oregon, where he coached a world-ranked athlete who became a USA Swimming 18-and-under national champion, along with several U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers.

An ASCA Level 5 coach, Craig has also served on USA Swimming Zone and Select Camp coaching staffs. He believes the best swim programs are built on strong relationships, clear expectations, teamwork, personal growth, and helping athletes develop skills that will serve them both in and out of the pool.

As Aquatics Director at Brazadas Swim Club, Craig oversees the club’s aquatics programs and supports coaches, swimmers, and families throughout the organization. Having grown up in a small Wisconsin farm town, he appreciates the strong sense of community found in Bakersfield and the Central Valley. His focus is on building a positive team culture, expanding opportunities in swimming, supporting coaches, and helping every swimmer find a path to grow and succeed.