IN Fox Chapel Area Summer 2018 | Page 47

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