

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS
MEET OUR COACHES
East Side employs a diverse range of coaches with a wide range of backgrounds and specialties including goalkeeping, 2 meter offense and defense, shooting and more. Our coaches are also involved in a number of community organizations throughout Chicago and beyond. Read below for a bit more about each coach.
Jimmy Heard
Club Director & Head Coach
Jimmy's passion for coaching started the summer of 2007. He joined the New Trier Summer Fun program which aimed to introduce the sport to youth and high school players across the North Shore. After Jimmy volunteered that summer, he was asked to join the Summer Fun staff in 2008. Shortly after the summer of '09, Jimmy became a member of the North Beach Water Polo Foundation where his coaching career took off. He contributed in all practices as an assistant coach.
In September 2013, Jimmy was appointed as the Age Group Coordinator where he worked with 14U athletes.
In December 2016, Jimmy held the title of Girls Fundamental Director & Age Group Coordinator until the closing of North Beach in August 2017. In his career thus far, Jimmy has helped dozens of athletes reach the collegiate status.
Jimmy volunteered his time with Fitter & Faster Water Polo Camps & Clinics, Brown University Water Polo Camps and USA Water Polo; to not just give back to the sport of water polo, but to learn and grow as a coach. In addition, Jimmy represents Azevedo Water Polo and 6-8 Sports as a Sports Development and Equity Consultant.
Jimmy is excited to share his vision and style of play with local and national talent, and the members of ESWP.
Anna Vogel
Coach
Anna started her water polo career at Oak Park River Forest High School where she was a varsity athlete and team captain. Anna loved water polo, but ultimately chose to pursue swimming at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she was a 4 year letter winner, team captain, and was a member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team. While Anna enjoyed swimming, she was always itching to get back into water polo and is beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to help develo the next generation of players!
Andy Miner
Splashball Coordinator
Andy began coaching water polo when he started the boys program at Maine West back in 2010. The next year his high school teaching career brought him to ETHS and he joined the girls program in 2012 as an assistant coach. He became head of the girls team in 2013 and has been there ever since.
A lifelong swimmer who competed for the Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Swim Team converted to Polo when he graduated and never looked back. Andy is excited to work with the Splashball Program and help develop the next generation of Illinois Water Polo players.
Sarah Palmentera-Reid
Coach
Sarah began playing polo at Welles Park in 2013. She continued her polo career by joint CPD club polo in 2015, and traveled to junior Olympics multiple times. Sarah went on to play high school polo for Lane Tech. Her freshman year she helped lead LT to state, becoming the first CPS team to go to state in the last 16 years. As part of the Lane Tech team, Sarah’s freshman and sophomore year she was named 1st team all sectionals, and sophomore year 3rd team all state. To further grow in waterpolo she attended the University of Michigan's 2019 Waterpolo Camp. Sarah also participated in the ODP development camp, led by Coach Jimmy, and went on to play for the Midwest National Team in 2019, and was selected to play in 2020. Sarah joined ESWP in the winter of 2020 and is very excited to continue working with the team! After high school Sarah plans to get a degree in mathematics, become a teacher, and continue to coach waterpolo!
Jordin "JoJo" Hale
Coach
Jordin “JoJo” started playing water polo at Oak Park River Forest high school, where she was named MVP on both the JV and Varsity levels. She was selected to participated in the ODP program, and was selected for the National Training Selection Camp and played goalie on two Junior Olympic teams. As a goalie for the Midwest region, the team won an ODP National Championship.
She then earned an athletic and academic scholarship to Iona College, where she played goalie for the Women’s Water Polo team. As a junior, Jordin was named for the MAAC All-Second Team and in her senior season she received All-American honorable mention. She ranked in the Top 10 for saves and save percentage in the history of Iona, among other accolades. Additionally, she was named to the “All-Decade” team for Iona.
Now, as an Iona graduate, she is eager to use her time and experience to train future players and goalies with East Side.
Danilo Scekic
Coach
Danilo's water polo career began in the 7th grade with North Beach Water Polo. He attended New Trier High School and competed at the varsity level all four years. During his tenure, Danilo earned titles such as 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All Sectional and 2nd Team All State. In 2017, he and the Trevian's made it to the Illinois State Final and placed 2nd.
Danilo had planned on competing at the next level with Division 1 program UCLA, however his passion for music geared his life towards becoming an artist. Currently, Danilo is attending Columbia College in Chicago with a major in Audio Design and Production.
His love for the sport will never perish - Danilo is excited to once again be involved in the water polo community through coaching.
Kelly Klish
Coach
Kelly began playing water polo in 7th grade with Glenbrook Aquatics. She continued her passion of water polo at Glenbrook South High School where she was a 4 year varsity athlete. Kelly earned All-Conference and All-Sectional awards her junior and senior years. In her final year at GBS she broke the school record for goals scored. Kelly is now continuing to play the sport she loves at the University of Redlands in Southern California. She is excited to be back and help develop and grow the ESWP age group athletes.
Richard Dux
Coach
Richard's love for water polo began at the age of 12 playing in the Chicago Park District. He played 15 and under, 18 and under, senior men’s and became a player coach at the senior men’s level for 8 years winning multiple city wide championships.
Richard played NCAA division I water polo at Loyola University for 4 years and was named team captain his junior and senior years. He played in multiple Midwest Conference Championship and NCAA Division I National Championship tournaments. After graduation, Richard helped coach and train goalies at Loyola University for many years.
In 1979, Richard was selected to participate in the US Olympic trials for the 1980 team and was named team captain of the Midwest team. The trials at the time were known as the National Sports Festival. The Festival was both a US Olympic trials and Olympic developmental (pipeline) tournament. Unfortunately, the US withdrew from participation in the 1980 Summer Olympic in Moscow.
In 1981, Richard was selected as a coach for National Sports Festival Midwest team.
Richard spent 5 years over two stints coaching at Northwestern University for their men club team.
Richard is very excited to get back to the game that he loves and looks forward to helping with the personal development of the water polo and sportsmanship skills of the club members.
Tim Fodor
coach
Tim started playing water polo in 4th grade and continued on to participate in the Midwest Olympic Development Program in 8th grade. Tim competed on varsity at ETHS for 4 years as the starting 2M defender from 2003-2006. In 2005, he helped lead the team to their first IHSA State Tournament appearance in school history, ending the season in 3rd place. Tim received the 2005 ETHS Scholarship Award and the 2006 ETHS MVP Award, while earning other titles including First Team All-Sectional and Illpolo’s All-Defensive Team. Tim continued his playing career on the DI Club team at University of Illinois, where he was honored as the 2009 Big Ten MVP and was selected as First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-American.
Tim began coaching the Illini Men’s Water Polo Club in 2010 as the President and Captain. He also coached the Illini Women’s Water Polo Club in 2010. After graduating college, Tim continued to coach as an assistant at Lane Tech, Loyola Academy, and most recently at ETHS. Tim is excited to keep growing as a coach and continue sharing his knowledge to help players improve to achieve their full potential.
Mina Dizdarevic
Coach