Lauren Waterworth – Head Coach, NOVA South

Education
A Chester native and proud alumna of VACS (now NOVA South), Lauren has been part of the team’s tremendous growth since rejoining as a coach in 2011. She is a graduate of Thomas Dale High School and swam for two years at the United States Naval Academy.

Lauren holds a B.S. in Organizational Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies. She earned her Master’s in Sport Leadership from the Center for Sport Leadership at VCU.

Certifications

• Level 5 Certified Coach – American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA)

• USA Swimming National Open Water Select Camp Coach – Fort Myers, FL

• USA Swimming Boys National Select Camp Coach – Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs

• Participant – USA Swimming National Age Group Summit at the Olympic Training Center

• Virginia Swimming Zones Team Coach

• National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach

• Certified Personal Trainer – National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

• Project Management Professional (PMP) – Project Management Institute

• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) – Society for Human Resource Management

Coaching Achievements

• Coached NCSA qualifiers and top 8 finalists

• Coached Winter and Summer Juniors qualifiers

• Developed multiple USA Swimming Academic All-Americans

• Trained national Top 16 performers

• Led swimmers to state titles at both Age Group and Senior Championship levels

Coaching Philosophy
Lauren believes in coaching the whole person—not just the athlete. She focuses on developing confidence, discipline, and resilience in and out of the water. Her approach blends technical excellence with a strong emphasis on mental and physical wellness, helping swimmers grow into healthy, motivated, and self-aware individuals.

Personal
Lauren is passionate about whole-person health and brings her background in psychology, nutrition, and strength training into every aspect of coaching. She has competed in triathlons (from sprint to half ironman), CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, running races—including a 50k—and rucking events.

She lives in Chester with her husband, a Richmond City firefighter, their two sons, and their dog, Noodle.

Shannon Royster – Assistant Coach, NOVA South

Shannon Royster has been an assistant coach with NOVA South since 2008, bringing a wealth of experience, leadership, and passion to our team. His swimming journey began at age 8 with the Tritons of Petersburg, which later became VACS. As a young swimmer, he found early success—winning multiple events at the Virginia Junior Olympics and representing the Virginia All-Star team at Zones in Buffalo, NY.

A true multi-sport athlete, Shannon balanced swimming with football and basketball throughout high school before going on to swim at the collegiate level for Longwood University. There, he served as team captain for three years and demonstrated a natural talent for leadership. He graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in History, following in the footsteps of his family as a fourth-generation educator.

Returning to his hometown of Hopewell, Shannon taught 8th-grade civics at Carter G. Woodson Middle School for six years before becoming the assistant principal in 2005 and then principal in 2009. His passion for working with youth extended into athletics, where he founded the school’s sports program and led the basketball team to three consecutive championship titles, amassing an incredible record of 69 wins and just 3 losses. From 1999 to 2009, Shannon also served as a varsity football coach at Hopewell High School, playing a key role as passing coordinator for the 2003 State Championship team.

In addition to his work at NOVA South, Shannon has coached at the Swim and Yacht Club (SYC) Barracudas in Colonial Heights since 2002. He became head coach in 2008, and under his leadership, the team has captured five Southside League regular season and Championship meet titles.

At NOVA South, Shannon plays a key role in supporting dryland training, in-water practices, and weightlifting sessions across multiple training groups. His enthusiasm, versatility, and deep coaching experience make him an invaluable part of our staff. Shannon’s love for sports, education, and mentorship continues to make a lasting impact on our swimmers and team culture.

Natalie Zoldork – Assistant Coach, NOVA South

Natalie Zoldork is an incredible asset to NOVA South, and we’re so fortunate to have her on our coaching staff. A lifelong swimmer, Natalie began her competitive journey at age 7 and grew up swimming for VACS—now known as NOVA South. Her dedication to the sport led her to swim Division I at George Mason University, where she specialized in long-distance IM, breaststroke, and butterfly.

While at George Mason, Natalie earned her degree in Integrative Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education. She brings that same dedication and care to every athlete she works with, blending her teaching background and swimming experience into her coaching style.

Natalie has been coaching at Wood Dale for the past six years and has served as Head Coach since 2019. She also teaches swim lessons, lifeguards, and simply loves being by the water. Her passion for swimming is infectious, and her commitment to helping swimmers grow is unmatched.

Outside of the pool, Natalie is a Special Education teacher in Prince George County and has been part of the NOVA South coaching staff since 2017.

Nae Boersma – Novice Coach, NOVA South

Nae Boersma joined the NOVA South coaching staff in 2018, and we are incredibly lucky to have her knowledge, passion, and energy on our team. She brings a unique combination of coaching experience, personal dedication, and genuine love for working with young swimmers.

Nae is married with twelve children—all of whom share a love for swimming. She works part-time as a nurse at a fertility clinic in Northern Virginia, where she has served families with compassion and care since 2000. An active lifestyle is important to her—she regularly trains and has participated in sprint triathlons, 5Ks, 10Ks, and even a half marathon.

Nae began her coaching journey in 1995 with the McClellan AFB Stingrays in California. Although she had limited swimming experience at the time, her eagerness to learn quickly blossomed into a deep love for the sport. In just her second year, she was promoted to head coach and led the team until the base’s closure. After relocating to Virginia, Nae continued to stay involved in the swim community. In 2012, she helped start a team in her neighborhood, serving as both an assistant coach and key behind-the-scenes organizer to keep the team afloat. In 2015, she stepped into the role of head coach for the SouthBend Sailfish. She also volunteered with the Chester YMCA swim team from 2013 until joining NOVA South.

Nae has a true gift for working with young swimmers. She focuses on building their confidence through skill development and creating a positive, encouraging environment. Her greatest joy comes from seeing kids grow not just as athletes, but as people who love the water and the process of learning.