Laura Mitchell

Head Coach, Alto Swim Club

coach.laura.mitchell@gmail.com

Laura Mitchell is the Head Coach and founder of Alto Swim Club and Lead Coach for Senior 1. Before her leadership role at Alto, Laura served in several roles including Head Age Group Coach, Head Coach and Owner of the Cardinal Site of Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA), where she played a pivotal role in the team's achievements.

During Laura’s eight years with PASA, the team achieved recognition as a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club. PASA won multiple Junior National Championships, and ranked as the top club team in Northern California.

At Alto, Laura has worked to elevate the team's performance and drive significant growth and success over the last five years. Alto won 2019 USA Swimming National Championships and sent two athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2021, Alto was recognized as a USA Swimming Club Excellence Silver Medal Team. Alto has also won multiple Sectional Championships and travel invitationals. 

Laura also coaches the Palo Alto High School Varsity Swim and Dive team. During her time with the program, the Viking Women's program won two League Championships and the Women's CCS Championship in 2016. The Men’s program won two League Championships and back to back Men’s CCS Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Laura’s leadership goes beyond the pool. She builds strong connections with athletes and works to bring out the best in each individual. She has also held several leadership roles including Chairman of Zone 1 North, Vice Chair, and Zone 1 North Secretary. She has actively contributed to the advancement of women in coaching through her participation in the steering committee for the Women in Coaching Clinic. She is a member of Pacific Swimming's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Laura has coached All-Star Teams and Select Camps. She has shared her insights as a speaker at numerous coaching conferences, including the Pacific Swim Coaches Clinic.