HAROLD MIROFF

1987 INDUCTION TO THE RHODE ISLAND AQUATIC HALL OF FAME

Harold has dedicated the major part of his life to various phases of aquatics.  He was a competitive swimmer for Joe Watmough at the Olneyville Boys’ Club, and later was appointed Director of Swimming, and coach at that club.  Harold produced a number of outstanding swimmers at Olneyville.  In 1954 he became coach of LaSalle Academy’s swim team and during his five years there he compiled the most successful record in the school’s history of interscholastic swimming competition.  His teams won the Rhode Island State title three times, the National Catholic Interscholastic invitational title three times, the Brown Interscholastic Championships twice and the Meehan Memorial Championship two times.  In 1958 Harold’s LaSalle team was the first Rhode Island team to win the New England Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship.

In 1959 Harold was appointed Swimming Director at the Waltham Boys Club, and assisted head coach Bill Brooks as freshman swimming coach at Harvard University.  His teams at the Boys Club in Waltham dominated competitive swimming (AAU) in Massachusetts as well as throughout New England.  Many of his swimmers received college scholarships.

While in Rhode Island, Harold assisted with the State Lifeguard programs during the summer months, and certified countless numbers of youngsters in cooperation with the Red Cross Water Safety programs.

Harold has served as Director of Aquatics for the Boston School Department and coordinated several programs in swimming instruction in cooperation with the Boys Clubs.