Dynamo Swim Team

About Dynamo

Dynamo is a three season (fall, winter, spring) swim team for youth and teens. We are a diverse and competitive team that serves swimmers from first time team members to national competitors. While Dynamo is a competitive team at heart, our goal is to meet each swimmer exactly where they are. All practices are held at the Greater Burlington YMCA on College Street, in Burlington, Vermont.

We offer stroke development clinics during September/October and April/May. Our short course season begins in October and ends in March. All swim meets are held in 25-yard pools.

YMCA membership is required to swim with Dynamo. YMCA membership information and fees can be found here or at our Member Engagement desk.

Interested in swimming with Dynamo? See our current and upcoming programs below.

Questions? Please contact our Head Coach at [email protected].

East Overshoe Aquatic Club Scholarship Fund

Financial assistance for the Dynamo Swim Team is made possible through the generosity of the East Overshoe Aquatic Club Scholarship Fund. The East Overshoe Aquatic Club members are Kim Carpenter, Dick Cummings, John Hancock, Jane McGill, Holly Rood, and Bob Weiler. To read more about the East Overshoe Aquatic Club, click here!

“To honour the pivotal role the Burlington Y played in bringing us together and as the glue that has held us together ever since, we have established the East Overshoe Aquatic Club Scholarship Fund to support young [people] to join the Y’s Dynamo swim team. We hope their experiences swimming at the Y will change their lives for the better as it has ours.”

If you’d like to be considered for financial assistance for Dynamo Swim Team click here, or contact the Business Office at [email protected] or 802-652-8190.

Interested in Joining Dynamo for the 2026–2027 Winter Season?

New swimmers ages 5–18 who are interested in joining Dynamo should sign up for our waitlist. Beginning in September, coaches will contact families as space becomes available with information about practice group placement and registration.

Waitlist

Dynamo Fall Intro to Winter Swim Team (Ages 7-9)

This clinic is designed for swimmers ages 7-9 who are interested in joining winter swim team for the first time. Swimmers who have completed the Minnow level (or higher) in YMCA swim lessons, as well as those with summer swim team experience, are welcome.

Practices are held Mondays and Fridays from 6:00-6:45 p.m. The clinic runs September 11-October 9.

Dynamo Fall Stroke & Skills Clinics (Ages 8-12)

These clinics are designed for swimmers who have previously competed on the Dynamo winter swim team or another swim team. Each clinic focuses on a specific stroke or racing skill, allowing swimmers to choose the areas they’d most like to improve. Swimmers are encouraged to register for multiple clinics throughout the week.

This year’s offerings include:

Breaststroke (Mondays)
Butterfly (Mondays)
Freestyle & Backstroke (Wednesdays)
Learning the 100 IM (Wednesdays)
Starts & Turns (Fridays)
Breaststroke (Fridays)

Most clinics meet for 45 minutes once per week from September 14-October 9.

Learning the 100 IM is an expanded, 5-week, 75-minute clinic that focuses on putting all four strokes together, mastering IM turns and transitions, and building the confidence needed to race the 100 IM. Each session also includes a workout to build endurance and reinforce the skills learned.

Swim Team Coaches

Tom Nececkas

Dynamo Head Coach

Tom grew up swimming on his local summer swim team before going on to compete in high school, year-round club swimming, and for Boston College’s Division I team. He began assistant coaching his summer team around the time he started college. From 2016 to 2019, Tom served as an assistant coach with Dynamo before returning to the team in 2025. During the summer of 2026, he also served as co-head coach of the Winooski Waves.

Now Dynamo’s head coach, Tom takes a science-based approach to training, with an emphasis on developing strong technique, speed, and fitness through purposeful, high-quality training. He particularly enjoys helping swimmers develop their sprinting ability and understand the “why” behind what they do in the pool. Above all, Tom wants Dynamo to be a place where swimmers can challenge themselves, grow as athletes, and feel supported and valued as people.

Anna Willis

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Anna was born and raised in Vermont and began swimming at the age of six in her neighborhood pool with the Winooski Waves Swim Team. She joined the YMCA Dynamo Team in 2014, and after competing with both teams for 11 years, transitioned into her coaching role where she’s worked with kids of all ages for nearly five years. Anna is looking forward to another great season with her home team!

Zoe Troxler

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Zoe was born in London but raised in northern New Jersey and has been in the water for as long as she could remember. She joined her local YMCA team in middle school and emerged as a butterflier, competing in the 200 Fly and later joined her high school team. Zoe went on to coach her club team and several summer teams, building strong relationships within her community through private lessons. She is now a sophomore neuroscience student at UVM and has shifted her personal fitness focus from swimming to weightlifting. Zoe is excited for her first season with the Dynamos and is looking forward to helping swimmers discover their love for the sport.

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Reiko Maeda

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Coach Reiko has been part of the Dynamo Swim Team family for over a decade, first as a swimmer in high school, and now as a dedicated coach. Due to her experience with this team, Reiko knows firsthand the power of teamwork, perseverance, and the lifelong friendships this sport creates.

Reiko has been guided and inspired by Head Coach Jacsen, whose mentorship has shaped her coaching style. She strives to offer the same guidance and encouragement to her swimmers, helping them reach their full potential both in and out of the water.

Outside of coaching, Reiko is finishing nursing school and will graduate this May with her RN degree. Whether in the pool or in the classroom, she is committed to helping others succeed and believes that every practice is an opportunity to build something bigger than yourself!

Geoffrey Bennett

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Geoffrey Bennett has been coaching Varsity Cross Country and Track & Field in Vermont since 2005, but has only been Gluten Free since 2020. Coach Bennett is excited to bring his knowledge of Speed and Power (USTFCCCA-certified Strength & Conditioning Coach) to the pool deck. Coach Bennett loves to run, bike, and play basketball – while his wife (Carly) and 3 kids (Goose, Coco & revilO) are patiently waiting for him to catch up in the lap pool.

Ella Sehovic-Taji

Dynamo Assistant Coach

Ella was born and raised in Burlington and has been a part of the YMCA aquatics community since early childhood. She began competitive swimming at the age of 10 with both Dynamo and the Winooski Swim Team. Over the past five years, Ella has worked in aquatics as a certified lifeguard and coach. She is currently pursuing a degree in Animal Science at the University of Vermont. Ella is excited to begin her first season as a Dynamo coach and to return to the YMCA community that helped shape her love for the sport.

Dynamo FAQs

Team Mission

Dynamo Swim Team helps create confident swimmers who achieve both individual and team goals through a love of swimming and an environment of excellence.

Y Mission

To build a strong community by involving youth, adults and families in programs and activities that develops spirit, mind and body.

Team Philosophy: PERC UP

PRIDE

We will recognize and celebrate the talents each swimmer inherently possesses.
We will show pride in our individual and team achievements.

EXCELLENCE

We are committed to excellence. We can do the things we set our minds to through commitment, self-discipline and hard work.
Swimming fast is awesome, but swimming with fast with excellent strokes is the best!

RESPONSIBILITY

We will challenge ourselves and each other to grow and learn every day.
We will take responsibility for our actions. We don’t look for someone else to blame.
We will face every challenge or race with the knowledge that we have put in the work needed to achieve our goal.

COURAGE

To succeed we will have to take risks.
We will not be afraid to try and not succeed because we know that we will learn more each time and get close to our goals.

UNITY

We will take opportunities to remind each other when we notice achievements and support each other when we are feeling frustrated or discouraged.
Every swimmer is a critical part of the team’s whole.

PERSISTENCE and DEDICATION

We will be improving everyday and we will have to put in the work every day to reach our small and large goals.
If we do not achieve our goals we will allow ourselves time for disappointment but later we will take a chance to reflect and +develop a plan to work towards our goal again.

Practice Suit: Each swimmer should have a practice suit. For younger swimmers this may be your team suit. For older swimmers it should be another suit; the team suit should be saved for meets.

Goggles: Goggles are required. Being able to see underwater helps swimmers to follow the line, see teammates, and watch for specifics of a stroke. It also prevents burning and redness of the eyes. Many styles of goggles are available. Preference is individual. If you need help adjusting your goggles see your coach at practice.

Caps: Caps are required for anyone whose hair covers their ears. Caps help create a more streamlined swimmer and prevent them from getting a mouth full of hair while trying to breathe.

Water Bottle: A water bottle with water is a must for all swimmers. When swimming it is hard to tell that you are sweating and need to replace the lost liquid. The workout time is long enough to dehydrate the swimmer. Swimmers should bring their own water bottles labeled with their names at the beginning of the season and they will be kept in a team locker on the deck so that they are always available. They can be filled at the water fountain at the beginning of practice and emptied at the end.

Race Suit: Race suits are expected for meets. For younger swimmers this can be the same as their practice suit. Race suits decrease drag enabling swimmers to swim faster during meets. There are many different types of racing suits available. Both practice suits and race suits can be ordered through the team in team colors.

Swimmer Nutrition: http://www.usaswimming.org/

New England Swimming LSC: http://www.neswim.com/

USA Swimming: http://usaswimming.org

National YMCA Swimming: http://www.ymcaswimminganddiving.org/