Meet the Dolphins Swim Team Coaches

Nick Cavataro, Head Coach

Nick Cavataro has led the Dolphins since 1977, making the 2025–2026 season his 49th year at YWCA Greenwich. Under his direction, the team has achieved remarkable success, including three qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Trials, two for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and one for the 2024 Trials. The Dolphins also won YWCA National Championships in 1982, 1984, and 1985, along with numerous runner-up finishes.

A former distance freestyle and butterfly standout at Iona Prep, Manhattan College, and the Gotham Aquatic Association, Nick was a three-time All-Metro Collegiate selection. Beyond the Dolphins, he serves as Head Men’s and Women’s Coach and Director of Aquatics at Iona College and has guided Westchester Country Club to eight league titles. An ASCA Level 4 coach, he is active in both national and collegiate swim coaching associations and has presented at international clinics. Nick and his wife, Susan, have six children who have all grown up here in Greenwich.

David Fine, Head Age Group Coach

David, a Stamford native, brings a lifelong passion for swimming to his role as Head Age Group Coach. His career began as a standout swimmer, earning recognition as a Junior National qualifier, YMCA national finalist, and team record holder for the New Canaan Y Caimans, West Hill High School, and NewField Club. He went on to swim collegiately at the University of Miami and later earned advanced degrees in Mathematics and Education from Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport.

With more than two decades of coaching experience, David has worked with programs at New Canaan High School, the New Canaan and Stamford YMCAs, and currently serves as head coach at the Newfield Club in the Fairfield County Swim League. His dedication to athlete development has earned him recognition as Coach of the Year from both the FCIAC and CIAC, as well as Connecticut Swimming’s Age Group Coach of the Year in 2023. At the YWCA, David continues to inspire swimmers with his deep knowledge, competitive background, and commitment to excellence.

Assistant Coaches

Whitney Welch

A Greenwich native now living in Stamford, Whitney enters her 29th season with the YWCA Dolphins Swim Team. She swam competitively at St. Lawrence University and continues to bring her passion for the sport to the Dolphins, assisting swimmers at all levels. 

Alongside her coaching, she has served the Town of Greenwich for 36 years as a professional firefighter, EMT, and CPR instructor. Outside of the firehouse and pool deck, Whitney shares her certified therapy Bernese Mountain Dog, Cinder, with local schools, libraries, nursing homes, and hospitals.

Scott Witmer

Scott returns for his 22nd season with the YWCA Dolphins, where he primarily coaches the TAG 1, 2, and 3 levels. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Scott swam competitively through high school and has continued his passion for the sport as both a coach and open-water swimmer. Before moving to Greenwich in 2004 from Evanston, IL, he coached with club programs in Iowa and built a career as an executive in the investment banking industry.

Scott lives in Cos Cob with his wife, Carey, and their three children—Kendall, Emmett, and Hayden.

JJ Worden

JJ, a former collegiate swimmer at the University of Michigan, returns for her fifth season with the YWCA Dolphins. She primarily works with the TAG levels, where she shares her experience, enthusiasm, and love of the sport to help young swimmers grow and succeed.

A longtime Old Greenwich resident, JJ lives with her husband, Mike, and their four children—two of whom swim for the Dolphins. Both on the pool deck and in the community, she brings a positive spirit and a deep commitment to youth development.

Olivia McGovern

Olivia is a senior swim instructor at the YWCA and returns this season as a Dolphins assistant coach to work with the TAG 1 and Future Team levels. With nearly a decade of experience in aquatics, she brings expertise in coaching, water safety, and swimmer development. A certified Lifeguard Instructor, Water Safety Instructor Trainer, and Certified Pool Operator, Olivia is dedicated to helping young athletes build confidence, skill, and a lifelong love of the water.

Saúl Olivares

Saúl has been a senior swim instructor in the YWCA aquatics program for over five years and is now returning for his second season as a Dolphins assistant coach. He coaches swimmers across all age groups, from the Futures 5/6 program through the National team. With a background in Exercise Science from Norwalk Community College, Saúl combines technical precision with a passion for athlete development—helping swimmers build confidence, skill, and a lifelong love for the sport.