The first day of the new activities season always brings excitement to athletes and coaches. Sometimes, the excitement gets amped up when there is a new face to lead the direction of the team. That is the case with the Perham Yellowjacket girls swimming program. Monday brought change at the top of the Yellowjacket swim program when Ellen Kurtz took the whistle for the first day of practice. Kurtz replaces Courtney Skarie, who resigned prior to the 2025 season.

Skarie helped grow the program during her three years at the helm and Kurtz hopes to build upon that during her tenure with the Yellowjackets.

“I am so excited to be on this side of the Perham swimming world after coaching with the LAPS program for five years,” Kurtz said. “Being a part of the high school team, I’m so excited.”

Kurtz, a graduate of Hopkins High School swimming program, got her coaching career started in Perham with the LAPS Program, which serves as the feeder program for the Perham High School Program. Her time with the LAPS program has helped make the transition easier for her in her first high school coaching role. Kurtz worked with Skarie during her time as well and said she was a person that has played a big role in her coaching career.

“She taught me a lot,” Kurtz said. “I learned a lot from her on what coaching looks like, work out, setting up, talking with the team and I really owe her a lot. In my last two years with LAPS, I was the head coach and that was my time to establish my identity as a head coach, which was awesome.”

Swimmers can expect a lot of the same as they did under Skarie. Kurtz heavily believes in being resilient, bouncing back from a tough swim or a hard time that might not even be in the pool. She believes in preaching positivity.

“A positive mindset goes a long way, especially in swimming,” Kurtz said. “It’s you versus you when you are in the pool, even though you are competing with other swimmers.”

Kurtz said she is a really big proponent of just enjoying and sharing the love for the sport. 

“I’m here because I love the sport of swimming and I know these girls are here because they love the sport of swimming,” Kurtz said. “Obviously, we have goals that we want to accomplish, whether that’s sections or state, but in my book, as long as they are enjoying and giving 100 percent of that effort wherever that effort may lie, we are good in my book.”

Kurtz and Skarie were planning on getting the group back together for the 2025 season, the duo coached together with the LAPS program before Skarie became head coach, however, that was unable to happen.

“It’s my time to step up and I’m more than happy to do it,” Kurtz said. “I’m very happy to continue what she has built for this program and build upon it.”