V
ernon Yenick is sharing his
passion for competitive
diving with Fox Chapel Area
students. Yenick founded the
Fox Chapel Dive Club last year and it’s
been growing ever since.
Yenick, 50, has been the Fox Chapel
Area High School diving team coach
since 2008. He also coaches Central and
Oakland Catholic teams. He began the
Fox Chapel Dive Club with a quarterly
clinic in the fourth quarter of last year; it’s
since become a once-a-week meeting that
takes place on Saturdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
at the Fox Chapel Area High School pool.
“I started the Dive Club to gain
community interest in competitive
diving,” says Yenick. “I don’t think a
lot of people know about the sport in
this area, so I wanted to do something
to increase awareness and develop
talent from a young age. Working with
younger kids and developing their talent
before they even start high school will
hopefully create some stellar high school
performances.”
Yenick was a state high school silver
medalist at Churchill in 1985, and then
went on to the University of Pittsburgh
on a diving scholarship, graduating
in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in
communications. He did well on the
national level in both Junior Olympics
and collegiate diving—averaging in the
top 20 in the nation for his age group. In
1989, he finished the NCAA Division 1
Championships in 20th place on the 3M
Springboard.
When it comes to careers, Yenick
is a jack-of-all-trades. Following his
time at the University of Pittsburgh, he
moved to New York City to work in the
fashion industry as a wardrobe stylist for
magazines including Cosmopolitan, Elle
and Rolling Stone. He also worked as a
PR person for fashion designers Donna
Karan and Alexander McQueen. He
moved back to Pittsburgh in 2000 and
took a sales job with Nordstrom, going on
to be a Pacesetter—in the top 10 percent
of salespeople in the country.
“When I started coaching the Fox
Chapel High School diving team in
2008, I was lucky enough to start out by
working with JB Kolod, who went on to
be a 2016 Olympic Trials competitor,
placing 15th out of a field of 55,” Yenick
recalls. “He already had excellent
skills, as he was a gymnast for several
years, and went on to win the silver
medal during his senior year in 2011
at the Pennsylvania State High School
Diving Championships, then on to the
University of Virginia where he set and
reset all of his records.”
Yenick just finished his 10th season as
the Fox Chapel Area High School diving
coach, and it was the team’s best year
yet—with a bronze medal at the state
championships won by Jonah Cagley and
a 10th place finish by David Manelis. “I
had seven kids total make the WPIAL
Championships this season, and two
make the state championships—overall, a
great season!” he says.
Yenick hopes to grow the Fox Chapel
Dive Club with similar success. He self-
funds the group and is looking to find
more pool time for them. The club is its
own entity and is not currently affiliated
with the Fox Chapel Area School District,
but Yenick is open to the possibility in
the future and lets members of the high
school diving team help him coach the
club. He also hopes the Dive Club will
eventually participate in competitions
and become affiliated with AAU and
USA Diving to attend competitions
nationwide.
Anyone over the age of six is welcome
to take a class with the Fox Chapel Dive
Club. The classes focus on developing
beginner to intermediate skills. “My
favorite thing about the Dive Club is that
we take all different skill levels and build
on them,” says Yenick. “So, even if you’re
a state champion, come and join us for a
great workout—that’s my philosophy!”
For more information about
the Fox Chapel Dive Club, check
out the club on Facebook or
contact Vernon Yenick directly at
[email protected]. ■
FOX CHAPEL AREA
❘
SUMMER 2018
45