2023 coaches
Co-Head Coach Jeff Birdsley
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Co-Head Coach Evan Brown
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I have been teaching and coaching swimming since 2015 as an assistant coach with Urbana High School Boys Swimming and Girls Swimming and as a coach in the Urbana Park District Nadiators Conditioning / Advanced Swim Lessons after-school program. I have been a head coach of the summer Nadiators team since 2016. Before that I was a Nadiator parent for five summers, helping as an official and starter at meets and as the communication volunteer between coaches and parents. My son Sam (graduated) and Cecelia (15) grew up in Nadiators.
My coaching philosophy is teaching-based. It is very rewarding to me to teach kids to do things the right way in the water and to swim all competitive strokes beautifully. Our program goal is to be one big swim school and for kids to learn the sport of swimming in a fun and supportive team culture. I grew up in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area and swam for my middle school team, then 4 years at East Kentwood High school, and 1 year at Michigan Tech University. Breaststroke was my primary event. I was also on the water polo team in high school and college. After college I competed in Masters swim meets and team triathlons. In graduate school I dried off and joined the Ultimate Frisbee team. I have degrees in biology from the University of Montana (B.A.) and Michigan State University (PhD) and for 3 years have taught biology at Urbana High School. Prior to that, I was a stay-at-home Dad for 15 years. My wife Becky is a Biology Professor at the University of Illinois. |