Alexandra Kranian is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic Preparatory for AZPreps365

Swimming has always been something the Siebrandt family has shared a passion for, however, when their longtime friend and mentor Mona Nyheim-Canales needed assistance in leading the Mountain Pointe High School swim and dive team, Lynn Siebrandt and daughter, Emma, immediately stepped in to support her in any way possible. 

“She was both Emma and William’s coach for nine years,” Lynn said. “She was like family to us.” 

What began as helping a friend grew into something deeper for the family. After Mona passed in November of 2024, the Siebrandts, Lynn, Emma and son, William, now coach together as a trio at Seton Catholic Preparatory in Chandler, Arizona.

The Siebrandts' have been immersed in the swimming world for about 20 years. When their family moved to Arizona, it was a no-brainer for Lynn to put her kids in swimming with the Arizona heat. 

“Emma started swimming first, and it was fun to get William in it because she was sort of his little coach and they grew closer together as siblings,” Lynn said. 

Meanwhile, Lynn stepped in as a coach for various high schools when needed, she said, but when hired to coach Seton Catholic Prep, her immediate thought was to bring her two kids with her to form the ultimate family coaching trio. The family poured countless hours into the sport, cultivating a deep and ever-growing passion for it over the years, Lynn said. 

“In club swimming, you have to go Monday through Saturday, and then you have meets that are sometimes three days long and practice at 5 a.m.,” Lynn said.

Emma and William fell in love with the sport at a young age, they said, and Lynn continued to foster their love as they grew. The family spent countless hours at the pool having fun when Emma and William were young, and they would always coach Lynn for fun. 

“I remember our mom would take us to the pool and she would train with us outside of practice time,” William said. “That’s what led us to want to coach later on.” 

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In their first year as coaches, they took on putting together the high school invitational meet, Forktoberfest, in partnership with Pitchfork Aquatics, which meant a lot to Nyheim-Canales.

Planning Forktoberfest brought the family closer as they worked together, combining their strengths and finding their rhythm as a coaching team. Long hours of planning the event since the summer strengthened their bond, and their leadership helped execute the largest Forktoberfest yet.

“The kids were super helpful in getting donations from our local Sprouts of waters and snacks for our officials and Mona’s favorite restaurant Florencia’s donated food for the officials, coaches and volunteers,” Lynn said. “The rain stopped the moment we started setting up and it was a glorious day at ASU’s Mona Plummer Aquatic Complex.”

The school band opened the newly-named “Mona Nyheim-Canales Forktoberfest” with a song in her honor. All the athletes, coaches and parents who attended the meet knew Mona at one point or another and came together to celebrate her.

“This year was the first time I got to coach with both kids and it was a perfect team with the huge task we had hosting the invite,” Lynn said. “It was a labor of love for a friend, mentor and coach we dearly love and miss.”

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Just like the Siebrandt family, Olympic swimmers Gretchen and Alex Walsh shared a similar bond since their mother swam at the collegiate level. The sport soon became an integral part of their childhood, fostering a tight-knit relationship between them. The sisters stuck with swimming and ended up competing in the Olympics together at the Paris 2024 Games.  

For the Siebrandts, coaching became more than just a responsibility but a way to grow together as a family. Working together strengthened their connection and gave them the chance to not only support their athletes, but each other as well. 

“When I see them mentor other athletes and teach them technique and encourage them, it makes me proud,” Lynn said. “Seeing them grow into their coaching positions is very rewarding.”