Head Coach
Tommy Jackson brings a wealth of knowledge alone with over 36 years of coaching experience to the City of Atlanta Dolphins Swim Team. A native of Moultrie, Georgia, he served three years in the United States Army as an artillery man while serving one year of combat during the Vietnam War.
He later attended Albany State University in Albany Georgia from 1972-1976, where he swam and dove competitively for the school’s Swimming and diving team. He received a Bachelor’s Degree of Science and Graduated Cum laude from Albany State University in 1976. He attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia from 1976-1978 and received a Master Degree of Education with a concentration in Physical Education.
In 1974, he became an American Red Cross Volunteer to teach Water Safety Program. He holds CPR Certification, First Aid Certification, Water Safety Instructor, and Water Safety Instructor Trainer Certification, Lifeguard Training Certification, Lifeguard Instructor Certification, Lifeguard Training Instructor Trainer Certification, United State Swimming Certification, United State Swimming National Team Coach 2009-2010 and holds a T-5 Teaching Certification. Life time member of the America Swimming Coaches Association ( ASCA ).
From 1976-1978, he taught in the Elementary school in Adel, Georgia. Fall of 1978, He was employed at Fort Valley State University as an Instructor of Health and Physical Education. While there he taught health, physical education which included physical fitness, stunts and tumbling, trampoline, roller skating, fencing, swimming, exercise physiology and kinesiology. He was Director of the intramural program, Head Coach of men’s Track and Field Program, weight training Coach for State University Athletic Department.
In 1982, he was selected by the Department Chairman of Physical Education to attend Georgia State University to study exercise science from 1982-1983. He returned to teach at Fort Valley State University until 1985. Heath Slater Elementary School and later transferred to Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School to teach physical education and swimming until 2005.
In 1986, he became an assistant coach and in 1989 became Head Coach of the City of Atlanta Dolphins Swim Team. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tommy Jackson the City of Atlanta Dolphins have help swimmers secure swimming scholarships to attend college ,developed State, region and internationally ranked swimmers from the novice level to the Olympic level:
Academic -All-American
- Host of Team Championships
- Finish top 5 Georgia State Championships
- Host of Georgia All-Star
- Georgia State Record holder
- National Age Group Record holder
- Host of AAU Junior National Champions
- Joe Ferrell Award
- Number one Swimmer in the Nation
- Number two Swimmer in the Nation
- Several top 16 swimmers
- Junior National Team member
- National Team member
- Several Junior National qualifier
- Several Senior National qualifier
- US OPEN qualifier
- Swimmer has broken a total of 11 American Records in his career
- Two time Short Course World Championship medalist
- Four-time US Open Champion
- Five-time World Cup Swimming Champion
- Two-time runner-up at US National
- Short course meter American record holder 50 meter free
- 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trial qualifiers
- 1995 Quadriplegic swimmers set first record at Paralympics’ Trial held at Georgia Tech
- Sydney’s 2000 Paralympics Games world record set 100 and 200 meter breaststroke to win 2 gold medals
- At 2004 Paralympics’ Games Athens, Greece won 2 gold medals 50 an 100 meter freestyle
- In 2006, Quadriplegic swimmer won 18 gold medals, four silver medals and six bronze medals in swimming, setting a new world record, five new American records and seven Pan-American records
- Quadriplegic swimmer holds 11 world records, 14 American records, and 14 Pan American records in swimming
- Quadriplegic swimmer In 2002, USA Swimming named him an “Icon of Paralympics in Swimming”
- In October 2006, Quadriplegic swimmer was nominated and inducted into SCI Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2013, Quadriplegic swimmer was inducted into Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame.
IV. December 7-2015 U. S. Master LCM FOR 2015 RANKING ARE OFFICIAL. Marianne Countryman National Ranking LCM in the 50-54 age range are:
- 2nd 1500 meter free
- 3rd 800 meter free
- 4th 400 meter IM
- 5th 200 meter fly
- 7th 400 meter free
- 7th 200 meter IM
- 9th 100 meter 100 fly
Marianne Countryman 2014 U.S. Master LCM National Ranking in the age range 50-54
- 1st 1500 meter free
- 3rd 800 meter free
- 2nd 400 meter IM 2nd 200 meter fly
- 2nd 400 meter free
- 6th 200 meter IM
- 10th 100 meter 100 fly
Marianne Countryman 2013 U. S. Master LCM National Ranking in the age range 45-49
- 3rd 1500 meter free
- 4th 800 meter free
- 6th 400 meter IM
- 4th 200 meter fly
- 6th 400 meter free
- 7th 200 meter IM
- 8th 100 meter 100 fly
Marianne Countryman 2012 U. S. Master LCM National Ranking in the age range 45-49
- 3rd 1500 meter free
- 5th 800 meter free
- 5th 400 meter IM
- 2nd 200 meter fly
- 8th 400 meter free
- 4th 200 meter IM
- 7th 100 meter 100 fly
Marianne Countryman 2011 U.S. Master LCM National Ranking in the age range 45-49
- 7th 1500 meter free
- 9th 800 meter free
- 2nd 200 meter fly
- 7th 100 meter 100 fly
These achievements resulted from a team effort that included administrators, coaches, parents, swimmers and all of Department of Parks Recreation and Cultural affairs.