Paul Vozzella
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Heat has spent more than three decades helping young swimmers in the Desert Southwest reach their full potential, combining high expectations with unwavering support to develop athletes in the pool.
Founded in 1992 by the Frabasilio family, the Yuma Heat was created to fill a need for competitive swimming opportunities in a region where organized swimming competition was once limited.
What began as a small program has since grown into one of the area’s premier youth sports organizations, serving more than 300 athletes and swim students.
Leading the program is head coach Myriah VanBuskirk, a former Yuma Heat swimmer and daughter of the team’s founders. Having experienced the organization as an athlete, coach and now head coach, VanBuskirk has witnessed its growth firsthand.
“It started off small,” VanBuskirk said. “We only had like 30 kids…now our program is running over 300 kids…It’s really grown and that’s what’s special.”
VanBuskirk remains one of the most accomplished swimmers in program history, still holding multiple team records. After spending a year coaching with the Heat in 2014, she was recruited to coach in Arkansas, where she spent four years expanding her knowledge of the sport.
During that time, she traveled across the country for competitions and attended seminars featuring renowned coaches, including former Team USA swim coach Bob Bowman.
She believes those experiences were essential in preparing her to lead the Heat.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’d be able to be a head coach without that experience,” VanBuskirk said. “I think you have to get out of the town and experience more before you’re able to really coach here.”
The impact of her coaching has been felt throughout the program. Ryan Webb, one of the Heat’s top swimmers, credits VanBuskirk’s experience and leadership for helping elevate the team.
“The experience that she brought to us, it just helped us bring us to a whole different level,” Webb said.
Webb has emerged as one of the program’s latest success stories. After competing at the Winter Junior Nationals and Futures Championship in 2025, she recently committed to continue her swimming career at the United States Air Force Academy.
According to Webb, the support she has received from her coaches and teammates has played a major role in her development.
“Having a coach and a team who constantly supports you and gives you what you need…that’s the whole reason I am where I am,” Webb said.
The Air Force Academy commitment is the latest example of the opportunities available to Yuma Heat swimmers. Former Heat swimmer and 2022 Cibola High School graduate Emma Amon used her experience with the program as a springboard to a Division I swimming career at Xavier University.
“They always made that possible for me, so that really pushed me to want to do this in college, and really what made it possible for me to make it to this level was just their support,” Amon said.
Amon said the coaching staff consistently went above and beyond to help her navigate the recruiting process and prepare for elite-level competition.
“They took the time to research what it meant going to these next level meets,” Amon said.
While the program has produced record-breaking swimmers and collegiate athletes, those involved with the Heat say the team’s success is rooted in its family atmosphere.
VanBuskirk has developed close relationships with her athletes and takes pride in watching them grow both as swimmers and as people.
“These kids are my family now,” VanBuskirk said. “It’s like when Ryan leaves, I’m gonna be balling. I’m gonna be so sad because she’s my first swimmer I started with here, so it’s been a really good opportunity for me, but also just a special moment.”
The athletes say that connection is a defining characteristic of the program. Webb described VanBuskirk as a coach who balances accountability with encouragement.
“Coach does a really good job at setting expectations of what we’re gonna be doing for that day, and what we need to get done…and if you’re having a hard day, she’s always there for you to make sure that you know you can do it,” Webb said.
For VanBuskirk, building strong relationships with athletes is a fundamental part of coaching.
“Making sure that they bond with the coach the best they can because that’s when you’re gonna get the full potential out of them and they’re gonna get the full potential out of you,” she said.
Webb believes that approach has helped create a unique culture within the team.
“The dynamic we’ve created…it’s a really special one, and it really means a lot,” Webb said.
From producing collegiate swimmers and national-level competitors to fostering lifelong relationships, the Yuma Heat continues to serve as one of the Desert Southwest’s leading developmental swimming programs, helping generations of athletes pursue excellence in and out of the pool.
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