SCS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month w/ Coach Lenin Velasco

Lenin Velasco was born in Quito Ecuador, and moved to Southern California with his family at the age of 12.  

Lenin has a passion for coaching and supporting 
a young persons development through teaching and sharing the many lessons that you can learn from sports and apply in everyday life. 

Lenin started as parent volunteer at Oasis Aquatics in 2014. 
Under the tutelage of his mentor Bill Huey he later became a coach for Oasis in 2016.  
Lenin is now the Head Coach at Oasis Aquatics, and also serves as the head coach at Palmdale Aerospace Academy. 
Lenin has served Southern California Swimming in both the Metro and Coastal geo committees and has been part of multiple All Star Festival and Western Zones coaching staffs. 

He is also the CEO of a software company he founded along his wife Desiree. 

Lenin has 3 children Djovan now a freshman in college, Gian a Junior in High School and Aubrey an 8th grader in middle school, 
all of whom have swam for Oasis and are proud of their Latin heritage. 

Lenin hopes to continue to grow in the sport, champion more opportunities for both Latino swimmers and coaches alike and have many more opportunities to give back. 

Djovan Velasco (right)

Started his swimming career at the age of 8 in a recreational summer league in Lancaster and fell in love with the sport. 

Djovan has always been driven and has given his all both to the sport of swimming as well as his academics. 
His passion for the sport has led him to serve as captain in his Junior year at his high school team as well as becoming a Junior coach for Oasis.  
He is always ready to help and encourage his teammates and has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities.  

He is now a Freshman at UCLA where he is majoring in Data Science and will continue his swim career throughout college. 

Gian Velasco (left)

Gian started his swimming career at the age of 6. Following on his older brother’s footsteps was no easy task, but Gian has certainly risen to the challenge. 

He has excelled both in swimming as well as his academics. His freshman year he made the varsity swim team and now as a junior in high school he continues to push himself in hopes to have an opportunity to swim in college while he pursues a degree in engineering. He is always eager to stay involved in opportunities through swim leadership events to encourage not only personal growth but also the advancement of his teammates and his heritage.