Head Coach: Kristen Tedhams
Coach Kristen joined the coaching staff of Pine Island Aquatics as the Head Coach at its’ formation in 2023. She is a certified USA Swimming Coach, ASCA Level 2 Swim Coach, and a certified lifeguard. Also, she is currently a Head Swim Coach (6 years), as well as a Health and PE teacher for Cape Coral High School (7 years). Previously, she was an Assistant Swim Coach for Highland Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis, a summer league swim team. Also, she was the Head Swim Coach of the Highland Hurricanes Swim Club (Highland, IN) for 1.5 years, and a middle school Health and PE teacher for 9 years before continuing her teaching and coaching career in Florida. In addition, most recently, she was an Assistant Coach for Swim Florida.
Coach Kristen dedicated much of her life to the sport of swimming at a young age (6 years old), and continued her swimming career through college. She attended the University of Indianapolis, where she swam all 4 years and earned her degree in Health and Physical Education. At the University of Indianapolis, she was an All-American swimmer, as well as an Academic All-American, and most recently was inducted into the University of Indianapolis with her teammates from 04-05 class. Upon graduation from U of I, she retired from swimming and switched her focus over to being poolside as a swim coach, which is truly where her heart lies. She is now married to Cole (volunteer coach of Pine Island Aquatics) and has two children, Hayden and Taylor. Cole, Hayden, and Taylor all swim for Pine Island Aquatics.
Her devotion to the sport of swimming has been lifelong, and she is lucky enough to share the love of the sport with her family. She loves seeing her swimmer’s excitement about their accomplishments in the pool, which can include everything from mastering a new skill or getting their first championship cut or standing on the podium to receive their first medal. Coach Kristen believes that it is so important to be a positive role model to her swimmers and provide them with a safe learning environment. In addition, she strongly believes that it is so important to build a positive relationship with each and every swimmer to make them feel they are supported both in and out of the pool. By doing this it can help swimmers gain confidence, which can be key to swimmers reaching their full potential.
Assistant Coach: Chris Nixon
Coach Chris was born in Boston, MA but spent most of his life in St. Louis, MO, where he began swimming in 1976. He swam for his high school team and walked on to his college team, where he set individual records in the 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, and 100 yard butterfly. Chris retired in 2018 after a 31 year career in IT. He currently resides in St. James City with his wife, Lisa.
Assistant Coach: Amanda McKinley

She is a certified USA Swimming Coach. She splits her time between Cape Coral and Pekin, IL. For the last 20 years she has been an assistant coach for PAWW, the USA team out of central Illinois. In the summers when she returns to IL she coaches for the summer team Tremont Torpedoes. The last three years she has been the assistant high school coach for the Pekin High girls team. She was also an assistant coach at GCST.

She started swimming competitively at the age of 7 and swam through college. She was a four year varsity swimmer for Pekin High School. She swam DI all four years at Missouri State University. She got her bachelor's degree in Accounting from MSU. She then received her master's degree from the University of IL. She also owns Pekin Paintball Park back in IL. She is married to Mike and they have 2 girls Aaliyah and Makayla. They both swim for PIA.

Her favorite thing is coaching the younger swimmers and watching them improve their strokes. Then as they get older watching them build their work ethic.

Assistant Coach: Cole Tedhams
Coach Cole joined the coaching staff of Pine Island Aquatics as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at its’ formation in 2023. Born and raised in Paradise Valley of Phoenix, AZ, he spent every year of his early childhood through age 17, swimming with City of Phoenix summer recreation leagues. He attended Shadow Mountain High School, swimming all 4 years representing the varsity team, and achieved a 3rd place finish in the 50-yard Freestyle Individual at the 2000 Arizona 5A State Championships.

After graduating high school in 2001, he began working as a City of Phoenix lifeguard & water safety instructor (‘01-‘03) and swim team coach (‘03). During this same time, he attended Paradise Valley Community College, while swimming with Moon Valley Aquatics Club, and ultimately received an athletic & academic scholarship from the University of Indianapolis in 2003.

He spent the next two summer breaks (‘04-‘05) working on the Outer Banks of Corolla, NC as a beach/ocean rescue lifeguard. In 2005, he transferred to the University of Tampa, also on an athletic and academic scholarship, to finish his NCAA career.

In total collegiate, he is a six-time NCAA DII National Champion in the following events: 50 Freestyle Individual in years ’04, ’05, ’06; 100 Freestyle Individual in years ’05, ’06; 200 Freestyle Relay in year ’06. He also achieved 19 total All-America Honors, including 13 NCAA All-America first team honors, and multiple school records at both UIndy & UTampa. His first-place finish in the 50 freestyle individual in 2006, set the NCAA DII National Meet record.

After graduation, he moved back to his hometown, where he became a Volunteer Assistant Coach for Arizona State University and trained with the college travel team. There, he achieved his 2008 Olympic Trial qualifying times in both the 50 & 100 LCM freestyle individual events.

He now lives in Cape Coral, with his wife Kristen (Head Coach of Pine Island Aquatics) & two children Hayden & Taylor (both swimmers of Pine Island Aquatics). He continues to swim to this day, with both U.S. Masters Swimming (Sarasota Sharks) & USA Swimming (Pine Island Aquatics).