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PFY Coaching Staff
Email Coach Mike
IM: MasterofSwim |
Mike
Wolbert (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 out 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 as Head Coach of the program. Since 1991 the team has grown from only 60
members to over 130 strong with both team boys and girls teams since
1993 earning many 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 Instructor, a YMCA Official and a member of
the American Swim Coaches Association and is also ASCA certified. He has over 17 years of coaching and 6 years competitive swimming experience. Since 1990 he has coached 10 YMCA District Champions, 6 YMCA State Champions, 22 YMCA National Qualifiers, 37 YMCA Top 16 in the Nation Ranked Swims and 1 YMCA National Champion.
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 senior year he also
swam with the Pocono Family YMCA Piranhas and qualified for YMCA Districts as
well. He continued to swim in college at East
Stroudsburg University until the team
was disbanded in 1990.
Both of Mike's children Emily and Zack are members of the team as well as his wife Sonia is the teams Coordinator. |
Email Coach Michele K |
Michele Kuna -
Is a 1977 Graduate of East Stroudsburg University
with a degree in Health & Physical Education with a concentration in Aquatics. 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 29 years to her husband Christopher and has
three children (Meghan-25, Jolene-23, Alex-20) All former Piranhas
Grandchildren: Two (Jayden-3, Meadow-15 months) Jayden wants to be a Piranha, once his swim bubble comes off. Her 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 has been an age-group coach for Pocono Family Y for the past three years. She is a certified American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for Lifeguarding, CPR and First Aid, Principles of YMCA Swimming and Diving, YMCA Swim Coaching, |
Email Coach Alex |
Alex Gendelman - 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.
He is certified in Red Cross Lifeguarding, First Aid and CPR. ALex has been a coach with the Piranhas since the fall of 2006.
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Email Coach Lori |
Lori Lutfy - Lori started swimming and diving as an 8&under. She competed winters for The Woodbridge Recreation Team, summers for the Woodbridge Club and later for the Amity Senior High School in Woodbridge, CT. She continued to swim on her own over the years, to keep in shape, and re-entered the world of competitive swimming many years later as a parent, when her son was 5.
In recent years, Lori has coached the Hemlock Farms Summer Swim Team, taught Red Cross Swimming Lessons, founded the "Swim to Keep Kids Clean" which benefits the Wallenpaupack Drug and Alcohol Task Force, and competed in the Hemlock Farms Lake Swim, all in her home town of Lords Valley, PA. She is certified in Red Cross Water Safety Instruction, First Aid and CPR. She joins the Piranhas with her daughter, who is 12.
Lori is also an American Montessori Society certified Early Childhood Teacher and has been teaching at The Homestead School in Glen Spey, NY for the past 10 years. She is a graduate of Villanova University, where she received a B.S. in Accounting. She did her Montessori Training at the College of New Rochelle and she now supervises a classroom of approximately 30 students ages three to six, with two Assistant Teachers. She has been a volunteer in the Children's Education Department of her local Church for many years, teaching Sunday School and directing Holiday Pageants. |
Email |
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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Email |
Lauren Procopio - I am a Pocono Family YMCA Swim team alumni. I graduated from Stroudburg High school where I swam all 4 years and attended YMCA Districts, States and High School Districts. I graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a degree in Elementary Education. Currently, I am a third grade teacher at Notre Dame Elementary School in East Stroudsburg. I attending ESU to master in reading. |
Email Coach Jason |
Jason Lowris - He is certified in Principles of YMCA Swimming and Diving, Red Cross Lifeguarding, First Aid and CPR. |
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