Our Valuable Team

John “JP” Payne has over 25 years of coaching experience at all levels of competition from the youngest beginner to elite professional athletes. JP began his coaching career at the Raleigh YMCA in 1988 working with Brooks Teal as an Assistant Senior Coach and saw immediate success with the team winning the YMCA Men’s National Championship, a team which included 1996 Olympic gold medalist, David Fox. From there he assumed the Head Senior Coach duties with the Durham Aquatic Club producing a USA Swimming Junior National Qualifier in his first year. His next coaching step took him to the New Wave Swim Team, where he served as Head Age Group Coach leading the top 12 and Under group that consisted of multiple state champions, NC Swimming state record holders, and Top-16 age-group swimmers including future Olympic gold medalist, Charlie Houchin. John returned to coaching at the Capital Area YMCA as a lead senior coach in 1996, helping the team win the 1997 Women’s Long Course YMCA National Championship. Following a period of employment in the technology industry, JP returned to the New Wave Coaching staff in 2009, serving as Head Age Group Coach and site coordinator for the Optimist site.

JP is also the founder of [iX3]sports which provides him the opportunity to expand his influence through the professional ranks of the swimming world. Currently, through that platform, he coaches two-time Olympian, Chloe Sutton, 2012 Olympic and 2013 World Championship gold medalist, Charlie Houchin, USA Open Water National Team members Ashley Twichell and Alex Meyer, who is also a member of the 2014 Pan Pacific Games team and 2014 National Open Water 5K Champion, and Puerto Rican National Team Member, Christian Bayo.

In addition to having developed a successful swim coaching career, in 2004 JP expanded his application and study of sports coaching to include soccer, cross country, and triathlon. He helped found the St. Timothy’s School Cross Country program and coached future state and national record holder, Wesley Frazier. He is a certified coach by both USA Track and Field and US Youth Soccer. He has also worked with World Champion multi-sport athletes, including World Aquathlon Champion, Andrew Ferrell.

JP is active with both USA Swimming and NC Swimming . He has worked as a staff member of USA Swimming’s National Open Water Select (2011-2014) and National Select (2012 & 2013) camps. As a member of the NC Swimming Open Water committee, he helped to develop the NC Open Water Select Camp and has served as its head coach since its inception.

JP was a letter winner at NC State University and was a member of the 1984 ACC Championship team. Prior to his collegiate career, he was an All-American Swimmer at the Baylor School, located in Chattanooga, TN. He also competed as a professional triathlete for six years throughout the US and Canada earning Triathlon Today! magazine All-American honors and gaining sponsorship from Nike. JP has a B.A. in English and a M.S. in Technical Communication from NC State University. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and three sons.