SWIM COACHES
Melissa White
Coach White began swimming at an early age. She swam for Northampton's Summer Swim Team and Swim For Your School Programs from Elementary through High School. She also swam for the Northampton Varsity Swim Team in high school, graduating in 2010. Coach White started as a volunteer coach, working under Gwen Whildin, for the High School team after graduation.
Coach White started teaching swim lessons and was a coach for the "Yes I Can" program at Rodale Aquatic Center through College. She has taught a variety of lessons from Mommy and Me, private adult lessons, and lessons with students that have physical disabilities.
After graduating from Kutztown University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Special Education and Elementary Education, she went on to receive her master's in Special Education from Lehigh University in 2016.
In 2016, Coach White joined Coach Mentzell as the assistant Varsity Swim Coach for Northampton High School. They have been coaching together for 7 years. Coach White started coaching with the KIDS Club in 2020 as a head coach for the younger age group swimmers, Summer Swim lessons, and the assistant coach for the Middle School and High School age groups.
Coach White is very passionate to see children of all abilities succeed and have fun with what they like to do. She was involved in growing the KIDS Club from 30 swimmers to over 90 swimmers! She continues to aid in the development of the KIDS Club programs and will be coaching with the club in the summers.
Amy LeFever
Coach Amy is our head USA Swimming coach and our club's aquatics director. Coach Amy's love of swimming began at a very young age. She began competing in both summer league and USA Swimming at the age of 8 in Ohio. Her love of the sport continued as she got older and her coaching career began.
In her, over 20 years of coaching, she has coached beginners to nationally-ranked swimmers. Coach Amy has experience with summer league, YMCA, High School and USA Swimming. She also has been a certified lifeguard instructor and trained many on how to teach swim lessons and pass their love of swimming onto others.
Coach Amy has been with KIDS Swim Club since 2021. Throughout her time with KIDS, she has set high goals for each and every swimmer and aims to grow the team. She prides herself in helping swimmers be able to handle anything that comes their way in and out of the pool.
Cullen Mentzell
Coach Mentzell is one of the head coaches for the Northampton KIDS Swim Club Summer Swim Team. He also assists in coaching the middle and high school swimmers in the fall. He has been a KIDS Swim Club coach since 2019. When he is not coaching the KIDS Swim Club, he is the head coach for the Northampton High School Varsity team. He has been their head coach since 2016 and on the coaching staff since 2012.
Swimming has been a huge part of his life for many years. He is a graduate of Northampton High School where he swam for the high school team for four years. Before that, he participated in the Swim For Your School program and the summer team for the KIDS Swim Club. He also swam all four years at Bloomsburg University while earning his degree in mathematics and secondary education.
Assistant Coaches
Ashley Benner
Coach Ashley Benner comes to us with a wealth of poolside experience! She is a four year collegiate swimmer, Masters swimmer, PIAA Swimming Official and has been coaching the Rodale Aquatic Center’s FAST program since 2012. Additionally, Coach Ashley is a FIVE time Ironman Triathlon Finisher, Boston Marathon finisher and a half marathon and marathon pacer. She is employed as a bail officer for Lehigh County since 2012 and currently resides with her family in Catasauqua.
Dan Medei
Coach Dan Medei has been involved in the sport of swimming as both an athlete and coach. As an age group swimmer, Coach Medei swam for the KIDS swim club starting at age 5. He is a 1995 graduate of Northampton High School where he was a member of the 1993 Boys Varsity swim team that won the PIAA State Swimming title. After High school, Dan went on to swim for the University of Florida. In addition to being a student athlete, Coach Medei has had several stops as a coach of both high school and age group swimmers. Coach Medei is a second grade teacher at George Wolf Elementary School (Northampton School District). He resides in Walnutport with his wife, Katie and his three daughters, Juliana, Kacee and Sophia.
Board of Directors
Heather Walp - President
Frank Armetta - Vice President
Melissa Saylor - Treasurer
Michelle Kostik - Secretary
Contact us at [email protected]
Insurance Liason
Frank Armetta
