Meet the Coach

Eric Bardes is a well-known and respected youth sailing coach. He has introduced hundreds of young people to competitive sailing, many of whom have gone on to become top racing sailors. As head coach for the United States Optimist Dingy Association, Eric has worked with the best sailors from all over the world.

In 2002 Eric co-founded Team FOR, an invitation-only travel Opti team. It is one of the very first independent, coach-driven junior sailing teams in the country.

In addition to being a professional educator, he is a sailor himself, and has been since he was a very young boy. Eric enjoys racing sailboats as well as just casually sailing with his two children.

“I think a good coach needs to be a counselor and a tactician, in addition to  being a tough football coach,” explains Eric. “You have to be able to be any of those things at any given time and be ready to switch those modes depending on the needs of each child.”