Head Coach

National Team Lead Coach

Director of Facility, Programs & Events for the FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park

 

[email protected]

 

Coach Dave joined FMC Aquatic as Head Coach and Director of Facility, Programs & Events for the FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park.
Many in the swim community have known Dave for many years as he has had a strong presence in the local and national swim scene.  His coaching experience spans over 42 years with 39 as a Head Coach/Director.
Dave is known for developing swimmers in all events at the highest levels. But Dave started out as an 8 & Under/Developmental Coach. From the beginning, he emphasized athlete-oriented coaching, excellence in skill development and soon started improving athlete’s race strategies and self-confidence. Known throughout the years as a true technician and student of the sport, Dave has presented at ASCA World Clinics, Gulf Coast TX, Napa California, and Illinois Clinics. His creative and challenging set designs prepare athletes to expand their perspective of what’s possible in training and competitions.
At FMC, Dave is creating an exciting atmosphere and culture of achievement, support, fun, and surprises. All awesome teams discover many surprises while establishing tradition! He leads a staff from young to those with decades of experience. The common denominator is that they all love swimming. Dave looks forward to blending each person’s unique talent, perspective, knowledge, and experience into a cohesive coaching core. FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park will be an awesome place because of the people.
Dave has long attributed his success and achievements to the commitment of his athletes, staff and parental support; a true partnership. 
 
Below are some of Dave's many accomplishments:
  • FMC Head Coach/Director (2020 - Present)
  • Head Coach/Director of Fox Swim Team (2002-2020), Westmont Swim Club (1982-2000) and Hinsdale Swim Club (1979-1982).
  • In addition, Dave has served at the LSC level on the following Board of Directors and Committees:
    • Performance Committee (2018 - Present)
    • Senior Committee (2003 - 2005, 2015 - 2022)
    • Senior Vice-Chair (2005 - 2011)
    • Board of Review (1996 - 2000)
    • Technical Planning (1992 - 1994)
    • Age Group Committe (several times from 1985 - 1995)
  • Nine Illionis Senior Championships
  • Ten Illinois Junior Olympic Team Champtionships
  • Forty top-3 finished between IL, JO and Senior Championships
  • CZ Long Course Sectional Champions, 2023, 2024
  • 2024 Winter Junior National Championships (West), Men's 3rd place finish. 
  • Illinois Senior and Age Group Coach of the Year
  • Men's Head Coach for NCSA All Star Team @ 2015 Irish National Championships
  • Illinois Swimming Senior Coach of the Year 2021
  • NCSA Coach of the Year 2013, 2019
  • ASCA Award of Excellence 
  • USA National Select Camp Staff; Head Coach 2011 and Asst. Coac 2009
  • USA National Eastern Zone Camp; Head Coach 2010
  • Illinois Head Coach for the following All Star Teams and Camps:
    • IL Senior Elite Meet/Camps, Zones, Mid States
  • Numerous Olympic Trial, National, JR National qualifiers, National Top-Ten Athletes and State Champions. 
Below are a few athletes Dave has coached throughout the years:
Susie Sample (2019): Short Course Junior National Champion, 200 Back
Gia Dalesandro: USA National JR Team, 2013 / USA National Team 2014/15; USA Nationals top 6 finish - 100 & 200 FL
Kevin Cordes: USA National Team, Gold Medalist, World Championships, American record holder 100 & 200 BR, NCAA Champion, 2012 Olympic Trials, 100 BR, 3rd place
Alysssa Gialamas: Paralympic World Championships, Montreal - Bronze medalist
Rachel Stege: 2019 JR World Championships, Budapest, Hungary - Bronze medalist
Brady Johnson (2023): Winter Junior National Champion, 200 Back
 
Dave had an influence on the design of the FMC Natatorium. His vision was based on experience and was critical for hosting National level events, spacing, depth of the pools, multi-programming and the operations of the facility.
Dave is the proud father of 4 adult children, and 1 grandchild. Three (Jonathan, Andrea, Alex and wife Kelsey, granddaughter Bryn) live in the Downers Grove area, and one (Leo) is located in Ft. Lauderdale/Bahamas. He feels very fortunate to be able to spend time with them on a regualar basis.
National Team Coach
 
Coach Brian started coaching on a part-time volunteer basis with the St. Charles Swim Team where he primarily worked with the distance and backstroke groups. Brian now works with the FMC National Team backstroke, middle distance, and distance groups. Brian has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to swimming and coaching. 
 
He started swimming at the age of 8 at a club in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. From the age of 8 until 18, he worked his way up the national ranks being ranked in the age group nationally from 12 to 18. Brian qualified for Junior Nationals in the 200 backstroke. Upon graduation from high school, he accepted a scholarship to swim at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Brian swam distance freestyle and set the school records in the 1000 and 1650. He also competed in 3 Olympic Trials. At Trials, he finaled one year and placed sixth overall. 

 

Head Age Group Coach

Senior & Senior Prep Lead Coach

 

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Coach Deryl has a background both as an athlete and coach at the highest levels. Deryl brings 30 years of coaching experience. He has mainly worked with 13 & Older, both in high school and club swimming over the last 20 years.
 
Athletic Achievements: 
  • 1988 YMCA Two-time All American
  • Five time NCAA Division I All-American 1989-1991
  • USA Swimming Senior National and US Open Finalist 1990-1993
  • 1990 USA Swimming All-American 50 freestyle
  • 1992 Olympic Trials qualifier 
  • Top 100 world ranking in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle form 1990-1993
  • Member of the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team which won the Senior National Championships from 1991-1993
Coaching Experience: 
  • Head Coach – Triangle Area Golden Gators, 1993-1996, Eustis, FL 
  • Assistant Senior Coach – Academy Bullets, 1996 – 1997, Aurora, IL 
  • Head Coach – Oswego Coop, 1997-2021, Oswego, IL 
  • Head Coach – West Suburban Dolphins, 1997 – 2004, Oswego, IL
  • Head Coach – Delta Aquatics, 2004 – 2021, Oswego, IL 
Professional Awards:
  • Five-time Sectional Coach of the Year, Naperville Sectional 
  • Three-time State Coach of the Year, Illinois  
  • American Swim Coaches Association Certificate of Excellence recipient 2019, 2017, 2018 USA Swimming World 100 athlete 
  • School District 308 Excellence in Education Award Recipient 2018 
Coaching Achievements:
During his almost 30 years of coaching, he has coached all levels of swimmers from novice to the elite. Deryl has had numerous Illinois age-group, senior state, IHSA, NCSA, USA Swimming Winter Junior National, USA Swimming Summer Junior National and USA Swimming Summer National qualifiers, and finalists. He has also coached IHSA State Champions and record holders. In addition, Deryl has coached numerous swimmers to the national top 16 age group awards.
 
National Team & Senior Coach
 
Coach Jim brings over 25 years of successful coaching both as a Head Coach and as an Assistant Senior Coach. Jim has developed many national level athletes and High School All Americans. Since joining FMC two years ago, Jim has worked with and positively influenced our 13-14 GR, Senior and National Teams.
Jim had a long hiatus from coaching while he stayed home with his children (1 boy and 3 girls). 
 
Below are some of Jim's notable accomplishments as a coach and swimmer:
  • 1996 - 1999 Head coach of the girls team at james Madison Memorial High School in Madison, WI. 
    • ​Girls finished 2nd at State 1996-98 and 1st in 1999
  • 1996-2000 - Head Coach at Mad Town Aquatics in Madison
  • 1986 - 1996 - Varsity and head coach of girls and boys teams at Oak Park and River Forest HS (IL)
    • ​Girls finished 1st in 1989
  • 1982 - 1996 - Head Coach of the Oak Park Swimmers club team in Oak Park
  • Began coaching in Ann Arbor, MI at the Ann Arbor YMCA
  • Swam and played water polo at the University of Colorado

Senior Coach

 

Coach Barb has been part of the coaching staff since the day FMC Natatorium opened its' doors. Barb has been in and around the pool as a swimmer, instructor, coach, meet director, parent and volunteer for many years. She enjoys coaching every level of swimmer at any age. She is committed to coaching proper technique in a positive and productive manner.  Barb believes in promoting self-confidence, best effort, TEAM and FUN.  She teaches swimmers to focus on the little things because they become the big things that make a difference.

Barb began her competitive swimming career at age 6, following her older brothers into the water. She has been an instructor of all ages (age 5 – adult) since her teens.  In addition to her age group swimming, Barb was a two-time Nebraska High School State Champion in the 100 butterfly. She placed in the top 5 in State in a variety of events all four years of high school. Barb swam as a scholarship athlete at the University of Kansas. Again, she placed in the top 5 of her events at the conference championships, with her team winning the conference title. Barb received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska.

In addition to coaching at FMC Aquatic Swim Team, Barb swims with our early morning Masters group. She has swum around Manhattan Island in New York (28 miles, about 7 ½ hours) and swam in the freezing waters of Antarctica!

Barb and her husband have three children that all swam for Westmont (WEST) Swim Club and Hinsdale Central High School.  Their youngest is currently a member of the Miami University-OH Men’s Swimming and Diving Team. Barb enjoys an active lifestyle and being outdoors. She loves spending time with her family at her parent’s home in Jackson Hole, WY.

Rei Parkinson

Senior Prep Coach

 

Coach Rei began coaching at FMC in 2025 as a Senior Prep Assistant Coach. Her prior coaching experience was with Fox Swim Club in Naperville, Delta Aquatics in Oswego, and synchronized swimming in Tokyo, Japan. Coach Rei started her swimming career very early in her life, when she began swimming at the age of 3. When she was 10, she changed her focus from speed swimming to synchronized swimming. At 17, Coach Rei was a member of the Japanese Junior National Synchronized Swim Team that won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships. At 19, she became a member of the Japanese National Synchronized Swim Team. Coach Rei competed for Japan in the Olympic Games in both Atlanta and Sydney, winning bronze and silver medals, respectively.

11/12 Lead Coach - Blue Group

 

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Coach Pierre has over 30 years of experience as a swim coach. His bio is different than that of most swim coaches you will read because his story is markedly different than that of most swim coaches. Most notably missing is a list of Pierre’s personal experience as a swimmer.  This is because Pierre does not swim.

He came to swimming by a circuitous route. His four daughters wanted to participate in a sport and swimming seemed like a reasonable and somewhat accessible choice. Pierre attended their practices and events and became a student of the sport. A lifelong learner, Pierre began reading books to advance his knowledge of stroke and technique. To say that swimming changed his life, without being a swimmer, would be an understatement.

His 2014 interview with Gary Hall Sr. of The Race Club in Florida is included in this link 

Part of what makes Pierre unique is that he can likely list the names of all the swimmers he has coached and tell you a distinctive story about each. It has been Pierre’s personal approach that has so endeared him to his swimmers. The motto he has hoped to instill in his swimmers is to “never give up”. 

In addition to caring about each of his swimmers, Pierre also demands excellence and that each does his/her best. His attention to excellent form at a young age has prepared swimmers to excel as they advance in the sport.

His enthusiasm and passion for the sport bubbles over like a self-proclaimed kid in a candy store.  He has touched countless lives and is, in part, one of the inspirations behind the creation of FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park.

11/12 Lead Coach - Red Group

Senior Coach

Social Media Coordinator

 

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Coach Annie joined the FMC family in the fall of 2022. She started coaching in the summer of 2017 for Bobcat Swim Club (Athens, OH) where she worked with the 10 & Under age group. Upon graduating in 2021, she returned back to Naperville, IL and coached with FOX mainly working the 11-12 age group. She feels passionate about helping young athletes succeed in ways they didn't think was possible.

Annie found her love for competitive swimming at age 5 on the White Eagle Swim Team in Naperville, IL.

She started club swimming that same year for the Naperville Riptides and then by age 9 found herself with the Academy Bullets where she’d compete for the next 10 years.

During her time as a Bullet, she won multiple Age Group State titles as well as qualified and placed at NCSAs, Junior and Senior Nationals predominantly in the 200 fly, 200 back, 200 and 400 IM.

She attended and competed at Rosary High School in Aurora, IL and then went on to swim 4 more years at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Outside of the pool, Coach Annie likes to be outside with her Great Dane Pluto, his best friend Milo and his owner, Rob. 

Annie believes success comes from hard work, dedication, and FUN!

11/12 Coach - Red Group

 

Coach John began swimming at an early age for RAF (Rice Aquatic Foundation) and Westmont Swim Club during his age group days. He then swam at Fenwick High School, where he earned multiple All-American and All-State accolades. At Fenwick, John was a part of State Championship teams in both Swimming and Water Polo for 2 years straight, an honor no other Illinois team can claim. John continued his training with the last NCAA Division I swim team at Loyola University Chicago where he served as Team Captain during his Senior year, earned many team and conference awards, and broke several team records.

No stranger to the pool deck, John has coached at Lyons Aquatic for the past 12 years. Most of his coaching time has been spent with 11/12's & 13/14's. In addition, John has been on the Benet Academy coaching staff working with the men's team where he helped them win their first Sectional Title. This gives John a vast perspective of helping athletes develop and transition from age group to senior swimming.

John and his wife, Jenny, live in La Grange Park with their four children. John focuses his swimming efforts these days on open water events and will swim in his first 10K this summer. When not in the water, John spends time with his family, loves to fish, and enjoys golfing with his kids.

11/12 Coach - Red Group

 

Coach Ariana (Ari) brings a wealth of experience both as an athlete and as a coach. Ari has been coaching for 8 years as either an Assistant or Head Coach. Always positive with those around her, she brings a nice blend of fun and command on the deck. Ari is a teacher during the day, and loves teaching the fundamentals, and technique aspects of the the sport of swimming. As an athlete, Ari swam club for 10 years and all four years in High School. Some of those glorious years she had to put up with Coach Dave.
 
Coaching Experience:
  • FMC Aquatic - 9/10 Age Group Coach (2022 - Present)
  • Oswego Co-Op High School Swim & Dive - Assistant Coach (2021 - Present)
  • Ashbury Alligators Swim Team - Head Coach (2020 - Present)
  • Fox Valley Swim Team - Age Group Coach (2019-2022)
  • Otters Swim Team - Assistant Coach (2016 - 2020)
 
Certifications:
USA Swimming, IHSA Swimming, Lifeguard & CPR Certified
 
Education:
  • Illinois State University - Bachelors in Social Sciences Secondary Education with a Minor in Spanish
  • Aurora University - Masters in Educational Leadership with a Principal Endorsement (May 2025)
 
Swimming Background:
Started swimming at the age of three in Naperville Park District lessons. Transitioned to summer swim team at 8 years old for Otters Swim Team based out of Neuqua Valley High School. Joined Fox Valley Swim Team at the age of 9 and continued to swim through senior year of high school. Swam on Neuqua Valley Swim Team as part of their Varsity team the last two years of high school. 
 
Personal Information:
Ari started her fifth year of teaching social studies at Oswego High School. Currently pursuing a masters in educational leadership to potentially become a dean at the high school level. Excited to be getting married in June of 2025!

Jason Niforatos

10&U Lead Coach

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Jason Niforatos is a nationally recognized swim coach and certified Learning Behavior Specialist who currently teaches Special Education at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. With over 25 years of coaching and teaching experience, Jason is known for developing nationally ranked athletes, building high-performing teams, and fostering strong leadership and culture. His most influential coaching tenure was with Dave Krotiak at the Fox Valley Swim Team from 2007 to 2021, where he helped transform the school district team into a highly regarded program. During his time at Fox, Jason coached athletes to over 30 Illinois state records and developed multiple swimmers and relays that achieved #1 national rankings. He oversaw both the 9–10 and 11–12 age groups that established 46 short-course and 38 long-course individual team records, along with numerous relay records. He played a lead role in staff development, mentoring, and multi-site coordination.

From 2013 to 2024, Jason served as Head Coach of the Neuqua Valley Girls Swim and Dive Team, leading the program to back-to-back IHSA State Championships in 2018 and 2019.  In 2020 during the Covid Epidemic, Neuqua finished first place in the ISDA Virtual State Championship and second place in the Swimming World Magazine High School National Championship.  Under his leadership, Neuqua Valley swimmers claimed 12 IHSA state titles, and set four IHSA state meet records. His accomplishments earned him two ISDA State Coach of the Year awards and an induction into the Illinois Swimming & Diving Association Coaching Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jason and his wife, Coach Lauren, have two kids on FMC, two English Labs, and a cat named Cloey.


10&U Coach

Coach Lauren swam competitively for 16 years, and swam high school at Hinsdale Central and St. Charles.  She swam distance freestyle at University of Nebraska and University of Louisville.  At Louisville, she was a four-time Academic All-American.  She received the Outstanding Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year award, and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2004.  She then graduated from Seattle University School of Law. She has taught private lessons for over 18 years at her family’s business, and also coached with the 11/12 age group at Fox.  She enjoys spending time with her husband, Jason, and two kiddos who swim at FMC.

10&U Coach

Coach Tony has been in and around the pool his entire life as either a patron visiting the pool, swimmer, lifeguard, headguard, lifeguard instructor, swim coach or aquatic facility manager. He began his swimming career at the age of 10; you can say that he has chlorine running through his veins since he is always around the pool!

As a Park District, USA Swimming Age Group and High School swim coach, Tony has had the privilege of coaching a wide array of athletes. He has coached all age levels, but has the most experience coaching 11-12s, 13-14s, and high school aged swimmers. He coaches strongly emphasizing proper technique to establish a proper foundation to further build upon. Tony has had the privilege of learning from some of the best coaches in the business and they have helped him hone his coaching skills and knowledge exponentially!

Tony has over 15 years of coaching for various summer swimming programs, Maverick Swim Club, Naperville Central High School Boys Swim & Dive Team, Fox Valley Swim Team, and FMC Aquatic Swim Team. Tony has been coaching with FMC since 2021 and continues to enjoy each and every practice as they are opportunities to improve.