Meet the Coaches

Matt Brooks, Aquatics Director
[email protected]

Matt first joined Wightman part-time in 2018 before becoming the Aquatics Director in 2019. A lifelong athlete, certified USA Swimming Coach and American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Matt brings great leadership and enthusiasm to the pool, along with several years of coaching and teaching experience. Prior to joining Wightman's staff, Matt held coaching and teaching positions in the area:

Special Education Paraprofessional – Weston High School
Freshman Basketball Coach – Weston High School
Varsity Football Assistant Coach – Weston High School

In addition to Wightman, Matt is an assistant swim coach for Arctic Aquatics. Matt graduated from the University of Massachusetts with his bachelor’s degree in management. In his spare time, Matt enjoys staying active and enjoying new restaurants.

Abi MacDonald
abi@wightmantennis.org

Abi began working at Wightman part-time in 2020 and quickly advanced to become a swimming counselor at the Rookies Camp in 2021. Before becoming a swim instructor, Abi competed on various swim teams in Wayland and Natick, gaining extensive experience in the water. Currently, Abi serves as the Lead Swim Instructor for the Rookies Camp.

Beyond swim lessons, Abi is a strong advocate for water safety and is passionate about helping swimmers of all ages and abilities build confidence in the water. Abi graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024 with a B.S. in Neurobiology and minors in Data Science and Life Science Communications. She is also a proud alumni of Wayland High School, class of 2020.

Chrystal Begay
[email protected]

Chrystal has worked at Wightman since 2001, with a leave from 2008-2011 while she lived in New York. A swim instructor for over 18 years, Chrystal is a certified USA Swimming Coach and has coached swimmers of all ages and abilities, from Learn-to-Swim to high school state-level competitors.

Lifeguard / Swim Instructor - Adam's Pool (Lexington, MA)
Head Lifeguard - Plaza Place Condos (Billerica, MA)
Swim Coach - Marlins Swimming (Rochester, NY)
Swim Coach - Billerica Memorial High School

As a youth, Chrystal swam competitively for a club team, where she was a District qualifier in nearly every event and an Age Group qualifier in freestyle and butterfly. In high school, Chrystal was a MIAA Sectionals and States qualifier for freestyle and butterfly events, and she broke a number of school records during her career—one of which still stands today (100-yard butterfly). Chrystal attended the University of Massachusetts, where she earned her B.A. in English and philosophy and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction for secondary English.