Coaches

Coach Izzy de Souza began playing water polo at the age of 10, starting with Northwood before competing with Patriot Polo and SOCAL through age 17. At age 13, she was selected to compete in the Olympic Development Program (ODP), where she earned the Nick Johnson Inspiration Award, given to athletes who best embody teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership. 

At Arnold O. Beckman High School, Izzy was a four-year varsity athlete and earned multiple honors, including First Team All-League CIF, Goalie of the Year, two Coach’s Awards, and four Scholar-Athlete Awards. 

Following high school, Izzy continued her career at California Lutheran University, where she competed at the collegiate level for 6 years. Over her time at CLU, she has earned recognition at both the conference and national levels, earning 5 All-American honors and 5 All-Conference honors. Izzy also holds multiple program records at CLU, including most saves in a career, most saves in a single game, and fourth all-time in single-game steals.

Coach Sebastian

Coach Sebastian Ayala began his competitive swimming career with Buena Ventura Swim Club before continuing at the collegiate level at Ventura College. During his time at Ventura College, Sebastian served as team captain and earned two Western State Conference Honorable Mention honors in the 1650 freestyle. He also competed in water polo at Ventura College during the 2022–2023 season, giving him experience as both a competitive swimmer and water polo athlete. He graduated from Ventura College with an Associate Degree in Natural Science.

Sebastian began his coaching career with Buena Ventura Swim Club, where he coached age-group athletes for three years before joining Class Aquatics, where he currently coaches both age-group and senior-level swimmers. Through his club coaching, Sebastian has also helped develop multiple athletes who have achieved USA Swimming Futures and Sectional qualifying standards, further demonstrating his ability to develop swimmers toward higher levels of competitive swimming. His coaching experience spans multiple levels of competitive swimming, from developing young athletes to working with senior-level swimmers.

Sebastian currently serves as the Head Coach of the Newbury Park High School boys and girls swim teams. In his two seasons leading the program, he has helped build a competitive program and guide athletes to numerous school records, CIF qualifications, CIF championships, and state-level success. Under his leadership, Newbury Park produced its first-ever CIF State swimming champion, along with multiple CIF finalists and state qualifiers.

Sebastian is passionate about developing athletes both in and out of the pool, with an emphasis on building confidence, creating a strong team culture, and helping each athlete reach their potential.