I am starting my 5th year as Head Coach and have been coaching at Aqua Force for 10 years.  My mom taught swim lessons at the Indian Boundary YMCA and that is where I started my Aqua journey at the age of 1.  I grew up in Naperville,where almost every subdivision has a pool, and I started swimming in the summer on the Saybrook Sharks when I was 6.  I fell in love with swimming and swam for the Naperville YMCA in the winter.  I also swam on the Pebblewood Pirranahs a couple of summers. In high school I swam 3 years at Downers Grove North and 1 year at Waubonsie Valley.  I went to ISU and decided not to swim, however, I coached my junior year at the Bloomington YMCA.  I have swam on and off over the years for exercise and swam at the local corporate Olympics when I lived in Colorado and worked at OppenheimerFunds.  In addition to coaching at FVFY I use to be the Head Coach of Oswego Otters Swim Team for 8 years.  Since I have been Head Coach of Aqua Force our team has brought home 3rd Place LC 2021, 3rd Place SC 2023, 2nd Place LC 2023 YMCA State titles, as well as Girls 3rd Place LC 2021, Boys 2nd LC Place ,Boys 3rd Place SC 2023, Boys 1st Place LC 2023, Girls 2nd Place LC 2023 and 14 age group championships.  We have also had 2 swimmers achieve IL Swimming Championship titles at the LC State meet 2022.   I am excited to see new swimmers fall in love with swimming as well as, help remind year round swimmers why they started swimming and have fun while improving technique.   I love coaching at Aqua Force and as you can see, the YMCA and swimming has been part of my life from the beginning.  I am a certified YMCA & USA coach as well as ASCA Level 1.  I look forward to helping swimmers achieve their goals, gain confidence and hopefully love swimming as much as I do.

"Be a great teammate!"  

This will be my 4th year coaching with Aqua Force. I grew up in Indiana, and after years of organized sports found the competition pool to be where I excelled. After my competitive swimming days were over, I moved into the sport of triathlon where I continue competing today.  I have a desire to help others live a healthy lifestyle, which led me to the fitness industry and personal training where my goals are always to help others find and maintain good, healthy habits.  I believe that organized sports can play a major role in the development of young people, and that deep passion led me to the world of coaching.  Being a good role model for young athletes while helping them exceed their goals, and also challenging them to be the best people they can be is how I focus my energy with our team.  

My experience as a lifelong competitve swimmer (from age 7 through college) helped me to develop a love of swimming and the knowledge of stroke technique. I swam summers at Maple Hill Swim Team in Downers Grove and winters at Downers Grove Area Swim Team (DGAST) and the Indian Boundry YMCA. I swam in high school at Downers Grove South and in college at the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse.

I started coaching at Maple Hill when I was in high school and became the head coach when I was in college. I also ran the swim lesson program there for three years. When I graduated college, I moved to North Carolina and started a summer swim team there in Garner, NC. As I moved on to nursing school at University of Virginia, and then as I started my nursing career, I stopped coaching swimming. When my two children joined Aqua Force in 2017, I got back into coaching. I also coach at Oswego Otters in the summers. I love to help swimmers to focus on their technique and learn how to become more aware of their body position in the water to improve their speed and efficiency.

I started swimming at age 12 and fell in love with the sport. I swam for the Oswego Otters, Aurora Sharks, Delta Aquatics and swam for the Varsity Oswego Co-Op high school team. As a swimmer, I was always placed in sprint events, relays and 50/100 free. Holding my breath and fast arms were my thing! I graduated High School in 2009 and I did not swim in college, but I do wish I could have. 

I have been coaching for just over 5 years now and I couldnt be happier working with all the kids every time I am on deck. I love seeing the kids progress and reach their goals. Small time drops, state cuts, it is all amazing to see the happiness after all the hard work they have put in. When the kids cheer for their team mates, regardless of how well they know them, or what group they are in, its amazing to see how everyone comes together to support one another. I want all of our swimminers to forever love the sport. I coach with understanding, seriousness, but I also include my goofy sense of humor in practice as much as I can. These kids have made me such a better person, and I love watching them grow up and change into amazing young adults.

Hello my name is Natalie Potts. I have swam for Aqua Force for almost 10 years! I have taught swim lessons for 4 years and have been coaching since May. I have loved coaching and helping kids get better and drop time. 

I have been coaching with Aqua Force since 2017, making this my 4th year! I grew up swimming in my pool at home and played soccer competitively before knee injuries. I have been coaching for 10 years now in both soccer and swimming. I also teach swim lessons and lifeguard at the Y. I am currently working on my degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University. My passion is working with children and athletes of all ages in the pool, on the field, or in the classroom! I love being able to teach and provide guidance for the swimmers all season long and watch their progression on Aqua Force!