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PFY Coaching Staff
Email Coach Mike
IM: MasterofSwim |
Mike Wolbert: Director of Competitive Swimming (PFY Alumni)
1996 graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sociology/Anthropology. He has coached the Pocono Piranhas since the summer of 1990,
starting as an assistant coach at the age 18. In the fall of 1991, he took over as Boys Head Coach until
1997 when he was appointed Head Coach of the Piranhas program. Since 1991 the team has grown
from 60 members to over 150 strong with both boys and girls teams earning league, District and State
titles. He is Certified in Principles of YMCA Swimming and Diving, YMCA Swim Coaching,
American Red Cross First Aid and CPR, holds certification as a USA Swimming Coach, YMCA Swim
Official, American Red Cross First Aid & CPR Instructor, and is member of and certified by the
American Swim Coaches Association . He has over 20 years of coaching experience and 6 years
competitive swimming experience. Since 1990 he has coached the Piranhas to 44 League titles, 14 YMCA District Champions, 7
YMCA State Champions, 41 YMCA National Qualifiers, 42 YMCA Top 16/10 in the Nation Ranked
Swims, 1 Middle Atlantic Junior Olympic Open Age Group Championship Team, 1 Middle Atlantic Junior Olympic High Poin Winner, 1 YMCA National Champion, and a
USA Swimming Disabled World Record Holder (Onel Ramirez JR) in the 200 Meter Freestyle.
Mike's swimming career began his freshman year at East Stroudsburg High School where he qualified
for PIAA Districts and held several team records with the Cavaliers. During his last 2 years of high
school he also swam with the Pocono Family YMCA Piranhas where he qualified for YMCA Districts.
He continued to swim in college at East Stroudsburg University until the team was disbanded in 1990.
Swimming is a family affair for Mike. He has three children, the older two, Emily and Zack, are
members of the Piranhas, while the youngest, Sydney, participates in swimming lessons at the Pocono
Family YMCA. His wife, Sonia, is the team's Parent Coordinator and Team Representative for the
YMCA Penn Del Swim League. Mike resides in East Stroudsburg where he is an active community
member and holds seats on the East Stroudsburg Recreation Board and the Stroud Region Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board.
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Email Coach Alex |
Alex Gendelman: Head Coach Lehman Intermediate Location
I was born and grew up in a small town. There was a river and we were swimming
three months a year. The first pool was built when I was 14. Once my friend and I (by the way we
played soccer for the town youth team) decided to swim. We went to the pool and met a coach. He said
it is too late for you to start swimming. I answered I’m a good swimmer and I can cross a 50m pool
very easily.The coach called over a small nine- year-old girl, and told me "if you can swim 50m as fast
as her I will accept you on my team.” I finished 10 meters behind her. Certainly I was very upset.
Why I am telling you this almost 40 years old story? Because now I am positively sure that the coach
made a really serious mistake. My philosophy as a swimming coach is that it is never too late to start
swimming.
Alex is a former professional soccer player from Eastern Europe who resides in Hemlock Farms with
his wife, Laura, and children, Ben and Irene, both of whom swim for PFY. He is certified in Red Cross
Lifeguarding, First Aid & CPR and YMCA Principles of Competitive Swimming and Diving and holds
certification as a USA Swimming coach.
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Email Coach Michele K |
Michele Kuna: Assistant Coach / Lifeguard Instructor
Is a 1977 Graduate of East Stroudsburg University. She holds a degree in Health &
Physical Education with a concentration in Aquatics, and has 24 post graduate credits in Special
Education. She has been employed for twenty-five+ years with the National Park Service at Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area. She has been married for over 30 years to her husband,
Christopher, has three children, Meghan, Jolene and Alex, all of whom are former Piranhas, and two
grandchildren, Jayden and Meadow, who both aspire to be Piranhas once their swim bubbles come off.
Michelle’s Competitive Swimming Background began when she swam for eight years with the
Northeastern Area Swim League in Scranton, PA and later with East Stroudsburg University. She is
certified in American Red Cross First Aid & CPR, American Red Cross Lifeguarding, Principles of
YMCA Swimming and Diving, YMCA Swim Coaching and is an American Red Cross Certified
Instructor for First Aid, CPR & Lifeguarding.
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Email Coach Elaine |
Elaine Maichin: Assistant Coach (PFY Alumni)
Elaine started swimming at the age of 6, swimming with the Pocono Piranhas for 12 years. She went to Districts for many years while also swimming USS.
She had set some PFY records and continued to be a dedicated swimmer. Elaine has grown up with swimming and the Pocono Piranhas and loves it, and shows it by coaching for the PFY.
Elaine is currently a Sophomore at East Stroudsburg University with her major in Sociology with Criminal Justice and an International Studies minor.
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Email Coach Robyn |
Robyn Rabinovitch: Assistant Coach
Robyn's experience with swimming began at the long defunct YMCA of New London, CT. She moved
from the indoor pool at the Y to the ocean, an advantage to growing up at the beaches of Southeastern
CT, and is now proud to be back in the fold of the YMCA. Robyn holds a degree from Keystone
College and license & certification from Kindermusik International.
She is certified in Principles of
YMCA Swimming and Diving, holds certification as a YMCA Swim Official, is a member of and
certified by the American Swim Coaches Association, has certifications from the American Red Cross
in First Aid and CPR, Lifeguarding and Safety Training for Swim Coaches, is a certified USA
Swimming Coach and certified Safety Director for Middle Atlantic Swimming. Robyn lives in
Northeastern PA, has two sons, one of whom swim for the Piranhas, and loves black coffee, the
Grateful Dead, Neil Young and groovy vans; especially ones named Conway. |
Email Coach Lynne |
Lynne Vanderhoof: Assistant Coach
Lynne's 5 years of coaching experience prior to joining PFY consisted primarily of softball, but she
spent many years on-deck in the Northeastern and Pocono regions of PA working age group swim
meets in a variety of positions ranging from timer to runner, scorer to deck parent, and fan, all the
while working on obtaining her PIAA Swim Official certification and volunteering for many
organizations.
She is Red Cross certified in Lifeguarding, First Aid and CPR and holds an
Associate Degree in Social Sciences and has a personal interest in working with children with
special needs. Lynne resides in the Wallenpaupak school district with her husband Ray and their
triplets, all three of whom swim for the Piranhas. |
Email Coach BJ |
A 2005 graduate of Stroudsburg High School as the class salutatorian. B.J.
began swimming with the Piranhas at the age of four and still continues to swim with PFY on the USS team, giving him 16 years of swimming experience.
During his time with the Piranhas, he has set multiple team records, won District, State and Junior Olympic titles, and qualified for Short and Long Course YMCA Nationals. He has also garnered Top 16 times in multiple years.
B.J. also swam for Stroudsburg High School, setting school records and earning Conference Swimmer of the Year for three straight years. He competed in Districts all four years and qualified for PIAA States his senior year and helped his team win two conference championships.
B.J. is a student at the University of Pittsburgh and will be entering their School of Pharmacy in the Fall of 2007 as a junior. He is also a member of Pitt's Swimming and Diving team, qualifying for Big East Championships both years.
B.J. began coaching with the Piranhas in May 2006 and has gotten the chance to see the other side of swimming. He looks forward to continue giving back to the team that has given him so much already.
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Larysa Bunn: Assistant Coach (PFY Alumni)
Assistant Swim Coach
Email: larysa@pfyswim.org |
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