Jennifer L Ridge
Head Coach
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Jennifer Ridge has
been coaching for over 10 years and has coached swimmers from the
developmental level to JO and Y State champions to national level
swimmers. Her love of the sport is seen through her coaching
as well as her continued participation in the sport as a world
class Masters swimmer and Speedo Sectional Qualifier.
She has been a member of the American and Illinois Bar Association
since she received her JD in 2002.
Jennifer’s swimmers benefit from the
successes and challenges that she has faced in a swimming career
that has spanned over 30 years. Jennifer’s coaching
skills have developed from having trained under some of the finest
coaches in the country including Frank Busch, Don Wagner and Dick
Jochums. Jennifer has long standing ties to the Glen Ellyn
community as a graduate of Glenbard South, she and Bob have resided
in Glen Ellyn for over 10 years and her parents remain residents of
Glen Ellyn. Her mom is a member of the BR Ryall Masters swim
team. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Arizona
(Divison 1), where she competed as an undergraduate, and the
Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Dave Sivak
Senior Program Coach
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Coach Dave loves the
sport of swimming. To him, there’s nothing more
thrilling than to be on deck, watching his swimmers perform to
their full potential. He has been affiliated with BR Ryall
since 1999 when his oldest son joined the team at the age of
9. Prior to the summer season of 2006, he turned from being
an involved parent to become a member of the coaching staff.
Dave began his own competitive career at the age of 7. Some
of his early accomplishments during his tenure included taking
third in the 100 butterfly at Illinois State Meet and being part of
the Illinois State team. He swam at the Division I level all
four years at Northern Illinois University where he was a three
time Mid-American Conference Champion and Olympic hopeful in
1984. After completing his college swimming career, he stayed
at Northern Illinois to coach at the collegiate level for another
two years. During his college years, he spent his summers
training with and coaching his swim club team that he grew up
with.
Dave is a firm believer of putting his coaching knowledge to use on
himself. When time permits, he stills gets in the water to
stay in shape and compete in swimming at the Masters level.
In 2006, Dave was the 50 and 100 free champion of his age group and
turned in an USMS top ten time.
Dave currently has two children who swim for BR Ryall...Erin-
National Group and Danny- Black Group. His oldest son
Brian is a Badger and swims for UW Wisconsin.
Chris Flamion
Age Group Program Coach
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Chris Flamion knew he was going to be a coach
half-way through his college career. It was then that he finally
understood that coaching isn’t about giving workouts, it is
about giving lessons, both in the pool and out. Despite not starting to swim
until 12 Chris won multiple Indiana State titles by the age of 14,
and went on to earn 10 state medals, 11 NISCA All-American honors,
and 3 National T-16 rankings.
Chris went on to the University of Alabama where
he earned 4 Varsity swimming letters, 3 Senior National finals, 2
All-SECs, and 1 US Open Championship. While competing at this level he
regularly swam against the likes of Phelps, Lochte, and Vanderkaay
and made friends with many of the world’s best. Chris was also fortunate enough
to swim for Don Wagner, Arthur Albiero, and Glenn Nuefeld, all of
whom have influenced his coaching style.
Chris started coaching in 2005 at Crimson Tide
Aquatics and University’s Varsity team. While at school he worked with a
broad range of swimmers, including 6 Olympians and and 10-unders in
the same pool. After
moving to Chicago to join Naperville Riptides, he was offered a
position under the Navy SEAL umbrella as an instructor. This unique experience has helped
shape the way Chris works with the kids out of the pool and in the
conditioning of swimmers. Chris most recently came to BR
Ryall after a short period at St. Francis High School
(Wheaton). His love of
all things swimming was reaffirmed by his return to coaching at St.
Francis.
Chris currently lives in Glen Ellyn with his
wife, Laura, and 2 kids Ally and Christopher.
Jim Pelletiere
Age Group Program Coach
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James Pelletiere has been involved with
the B.R. Ryall YMCA for over fifteen years beginning with summer
and day camps. He swam in high school for Benet Academy and trained
during two summers with the Ryall swim team. After high school, Jim
took a summer job teaching swim lessons at the Y and was soon a
part of the coaching staff. During his tenure he coached numerous
swimmers to Y-state and Junior Olympics with top placing
individuals and relays. The YMCA took 3rd place at summer
JO’s during his second season with a team hardly a third the
size of the other top 10 teams. Jim really has a knack for
communicating and motivating young children and bringing out the
best in them. He has recently finished his bachelor’s degree
at Benedictine University in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
While at Benedictine Jim was co-captain of the swim team racing
primarily in long distant events, placing 8th in the 100 breast and
10th in 500 free at championships.
Kim Leidolf
Age Group Program Coach
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Kim has been swimming
competitively since she was 9 years old having swum with the
Waubonsie White Water, Naperville YMCA Swim Team, and the
Naperville Maverick Swim Teams. Kim also swam at
Waubonsie Valley High School where she competed in the state
championships in the 200 Free Relay her senior year. Kim continued
swimming at the college level at North Central (Division III) in
Naperville and currently swims at the masters level.
Kim has been teaching swimming lessons since she was 15 and started
coaching with the Great White Sharks in Carol Stream about 5 years
ago. Kim has a real love of swimming which can
be seen as she coaches our younger swimmers.
When she is not coaching or swimming, Kim is an accounting manager
at a small company in Glen Ellyn
Susan Ridge
Developmental Program Coach
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Coach Susan has always been around
water having learned to swim before she started grade
school. In high school she was on the girls’
synchronized swim team. During college Susan helped “pay the
bills” teaching swimming and guarding at Kankakee Valley YMCA
Camp in central Indiana and Hammond YWCA where she later became
Assistant Aquatics Director. It was during this time at the
Hammond Y that Coach Jennifer entered this world. Coach Susan
began “training” Coach Jennifer at the tender age of 6
months and has remained active in her swim career ever since!
Susan has been a Masters Swimmer
for the past 9 years, swimming her first IM at the age of
51! When she is not coaching or swimming, you may find Coach
Susan on the golf course or traveling. After 30 years with
Harris Bank, Susan took an early retirement in 2007.
Coach Susan loves developing young
talent and finds coaching the Yellow and Groups a most rewarding
experience where she works on fundamentals and endurance with the
younger swimmers.
