Jack Young

Jack has been working at Barron Swim School since the very beginning in 2015, even before we had our first location. He started out as the Aquatics Director for our South County location and is now the Director of Operations across both our South County and our O’Fallon locations. Jack has coaching experience from coaching novice level swimmers all the way to the Olympic Trial Qualifiers. He was a USA swimming club coach for over 25 years and has coached in St. Louis, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas. Jack also used to be a competitive swimmer, himself. He began swimming at the age of 4 on the local swim team and swam all the way through high school. His favorite stroke was breaststroke and the IM. In Jack’s free time, he loves to read about history (Western European is his favorite), enjoys running, and is a HUGE football fan. Jack’s favorite candy is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (they’re the best when they’re frozen)!

Lauren Harr

Lauren joined the Barron Swim Team December 2016 before the opening of the South County location. She started as a swim instructor and then moved into the Assistant Aquatic Director role in May of 2017. Lauren is now the General Manager of our South County location, her main focus in this role is to mentor and train staff on our curriculum and our procedures. The most important aspect of her job is to oversee the progress, development, and evaluations of all our students. Lauren strives to provide the highest quality leadership to all of the staff, customers, and students. Lauren was a competitive swimmer herself swimming on a local team during her childhood and continuing on Oakville’s highschool swim team. Her favorite strokes were Butterfly and IM. Lauren was born and raised in St Louis, MO and grew up in a family of teachers and surrounded by kids. She was very active growing up and was involved in many different sports, which helped develop her love for swimming and to teach swimming. In her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband Nikk and their two Goldendoodles, Milo and Odie, reading, being outdoors, and staying active with Crossfit and Pilates. Her favorite candies are peanut butter cups and gummy bears. 

Kristen Katz

Kristen has been with Barron since December 2016. She started at Barron Gymnastics in Customer service and joined Barron Swim in July of 2017. Her current position as Office Director means she does everything behind the desk. She trains the other customer service staff, knows the ins and outs of our program, and ensures that we are providing the best customer service possible. Kristen has been working in the customer service profession for a long time and worked in the medical field for 15 years. In her free time, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband of 19 years, her two kids and her three dogs, pitbulls Athena and Zues, and her golden retriever Penelope. Her favorite candies are Nerd Clusters and Tootsie Rolls. 

Sydney Pratt

Sydney has been working at Barron since November 2017 and started as a swim instructor. Sydney became a Department Leader August 2022 and is now Parent and Tot Director. As Parent and Tot Director, her job is to oversee the Parent and Tot Program and make any adjustments to lesson plans, train teachers, and assess the progress of the department. Sydney has been a swimmer since she was little and swam competitively through Middle and High School. Her passion for swim lessons began when she was a lifeguard and taught swim lessons at an outdoor pool. Sydney is a born and raised South County resident and started her love for Barron in Barron Gymnastics as a child. Outside of the pool, Sydney enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, and playing with her dogs Georgia and Bandit. Her favorite candy is Twix bars!

Angie Lofton

Angie joined the Barron Swim School team in November 2021 in a part time customer service position. Angie is now the Assistant Office Director of Barron Swim School in South County, MO. Her job is to keep the front desk a well oiled machine and ensures everything runs smoothly. Things like answering parent questions, phone calls, emails, and mentoring other office staff. Angie has many years of customer service experience and has been perfecting it for about 12 years. She has worked with children in different summer camps and school programs and even worked with animals! Angie is a born and raised St. Louis resident and loves getting to see the smiling faces of the Barron Swimmers each week. She especially loves to watch her 11 year old son, Arlo swim with coach Jack. When she’s not behind the front desk, Angie loves to spend time with her husband, her two kids Arlo and Ruby, and her black lab mix Dugan. She enjoys watching tv and movies, playing games, spending time with friends, and trying new restaurants. Her favorite candies are Kinder Bueno or Twix bars!

Leslie Johnson

Leslie has been working at Barron since January 2017, before we had our first location. She started out as a Swim Instructor and is now our Swim Abilities Department Leader. In this role, Leslie develops and maintains the Swim Abilities curriculum and any special events. She also oversees that all Swim Abilities swimmers are taught to their learning ability. Her job is very important in that she develops and customizes lessons to each child and their specific learning styles, and trains all other Swim Abilities Instructors to do so as well. Leslies passion comes from her years of teaching in the Special School District in Mehlville Schools and the growth of the Barron Swim Abilities students. Leslie was also the owner of the South County Little Gym and was the co-owner of the West County Little Gym. This has given her many years of Customer service under her belt to aid her at Barron Swim School. In her free time, Leslie enjoys crafting and spending time with her children and her dog Lucy. Her favorite candies are Twizzlers!

Veronica Gross

Miss Veronica has been working with kids since she was 16! She was a teacher’s-assistant at Christ Community Lutheran School, a nanny, and a swim instructor. She loves being able to watch the kids develop and grow into their personalities. Veronica believes the best coaches are those who can be coached themselves and who always keep learning. Her strengths in the water are encouraging the kids and giving praise for their hard work. Veronica is in school to be a nurse (go Veronica!). When Veronica isn’t in the water, she enjoys hanging out with her sisters, watching Stranger Things, and painting. Her favorite candies are Sweet Tart Ropes or Reece’s!

Emma Wofford

Miss Emma loves working at the Barron Swim School. She enjoys working at such a rewarding job and loves seeing the look of all the kids’ faces when they achieve a skill for the first time. Outside of the swim school, her hobbies are hanging out with her friends, playing volleyball, and doing at home projects. Her favorite candy is a Twix bar!

Ankit Goswami

Ankit loves teaching at Barron Swim School! He loves getting to watch kids learn lifelong skills and to develop as strong swimmers. He loves to engage with them and try to have fun and learn to be safe in the water. Ankit has experience working in summer camps teaching environmental education and has taught martial arts! Outside of the pool, he loves to hike, work out, bake, and is a fantastic piano player. His favorite candy is Starburts. 

Olivia Dicus

Ms. Olivia loves connecting with all of the Barron Swimmers. She enjoys teaching and seeing the impact it makes on the children’s lives. Her experience with children comes from a love of babysitting and family. Olivia is an expert at keeping the swimmers interested and well behaved throughout the lesson. Outside of the pool, she enjoys her three dogs and three cats and loves to read. Ms. Olivia’s favorite candy is mini Starbursts. 

Emma Selz

Miss Emma loves making a positive impact on children’s lives while teaching them the importance of swim lessons. She loves that Barron is a place where kids can be themselves in a fun and encouraging environment. Emma plays club volleyball, enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her two dogs named Oreo and Bailey. She loves to swim and has been on a competitive team for 8 years! Her favorite candy is a Kit Kat!

Brett Johnson

Coach Brett loves teaching at Barron Swim! He loves to see their smiling faces every week. Brett loves to engage with the students and enjoys seeing their progress grow over each lesson. Outside of the pool, Coach Brett likes to read and watch movies and enjoys spending time with his dog Lucy. His favorite candy is Skittles.

Sydney Stevens

Miss Sydney loves working at Barron Swim! She loves all of her students and enjoys teaching them such a valuable life skill! She has always been very athletic and has loved playing all different sports! She played Softball for 13 years and baseball for 10. She has always had a passion for working with kids, she loves reading, writing, and drawing and has two gerbils named Theo and Sammy. Her favorite candies are Watermelon Sour Patch Kids and Kit Kats.

Annie Schrader

Miss Annie has a lot of experience being around children. She loves being around them and teaching them in such a positive environment. She loves making learning fun for each of her students and teaching them such a valuable life skill. Miss Annie loves playing golf and has been playing most of her life, and now competitively. Miss Annie also runs track. She runs hurdles, and is the only female pole vaulter at her school. She has always been around pools

Kaydenn Pennington

Miss Kaydenn loves getting to know the students while at the front desk. Her experience with kids comes from watching her little cousins during the summers. It is important to her to get as much time as she can around kids as she is an only child and loves them so much! She loves seeing kids with different personalities and assisting them in having the best experience while at Barron. Away from the front desk, Kaydenn enjoys soccer and takes school very seriously in hopes of becoming a nurse. She has a 9 year old pit mix named Charm that she adopted from a shelter and her favorite candy is peanut M&M’s and Reeces. 

Gus Warren

Coach Gus loves teaching kids to swim. Coach Gus has been a swim teacher since he was 15 and was a competitive swimmer since 6 years old. Gus at one point was coaching a team of 60 swimmers ranging from 4 to 18 years old! He has lots of experience coaching swim and working with kids in a school setting. He has worked at multiple preschools and was a teaching assistant at an elementary school. Gus loves getting to be a positive part of a child’s day and helping them gain skills they enjoy and can use in the future. Coach Gus loves working at Barron because he gets to combine his love of swimming and his passion for teaching. In his free time, Gus loves to play guitar, hike, and being in nature. His favorite candy is Kit-kats.

Audreanna Davis

Miss Audreanna loves working with children of all ages at Barron Swim. She enjoys teaching the students a lifelong skill while also helping them to develop confidence. Audreanna is a do it all gal and knows how to teach all levels and ages! Out of the pool, Audreanna loves to spend time with her puppies Monty and Lance and her favorite candies are Starbursts and Sour Patch Kids.

Jody Coppage

Miss Jody enjoys working customer service at the Barron Swim School. She loves interacting with others and loves being a problem solver. She loves being part of a team and interacting with the students and families. In her free time she enjoys playing violin, hanging out with her friends, and writing.  She has a Boston terrier named Apollo and her favorite candies are milk chocolate Hershey Kisses. 

Levi Myers

Coach Levi loves working with his students at the swim school. He really enjoys teaching and helping each of his students learn something new each time they get into the pool. He loves making each child feel safe and teaching them ways to stay safer around the water. He is the oldest of two younger brothers and really enjoys being with them. He has two big dogs, a cat and a lot of chickens. He enjoys anything outdoors like hunting, fishing, and hiking. He also plays soccer and basketball. His favorite candy is a Chick-o-Stick! 

Sarah Harris

Sarah loves getting to interact with the Barron swimmers. Sarah is fantastic in the water, and behind the front desk. She enjoys getting to interact with the kids in the water and with the families. Sarah loves getting to be silly and fun in the pool and teach important life skills. In her free time, she enjoys working out and spending time with her friends. Sarah’s favorite candies are mini White Chocolate Kit Kats.

Jessica Gendron

Miss Jessica has experience working customer service and also with kids! She worked at State Beauty Supply in Customer Service and also has taught dance to children 3-18 for 25 years at the Professional Dance Center. She loves the environment and the people at Barron Swim! She also really enjoys being involved in teaching kids such a valuable life skill! Miss Jessica’s hobbies are dance and working out! She loves spending time with her husband Ryan and 7 year old son, Mason! Mason LOVES to swim at Barron Swim School! Jessica’s favorite candies are Reese’s Pumkins, Tree’s, or Eggs! 

Delaney Rapp

Miss Delaney loves Barron Swim! She swam on the Barron Swim Team herself and knows firsthand how helpful the program was for her. She loved swimming here and now enjoys being able to help her students learn all of the things she did. She loves watching her students learn new things and seeing their excitement when they achieve a skill. Miss Delaney is involved in StuCo, Cross Country, Pole Vaulting, and Wrestling, and loves her pup named Macie. Miss Delaney’s favorite stroke to swim at Barron was Breaststroke, and it is now her favorite to teach. Her favorite candy is a Twix!

Nikole Sabourin

Miss Nikole loves her students at Barron! She loves to watch them achieve their goals and grow as a confident swimmer. Miss Nikole loves Barron and all of her fellow teachers and customer service. She loves to grow as a teacher and grows more confident every week. In her free time, Miss Nikole loves to play volleyball, being involved at school and with her family, and her friends. Her favorite candy is watermelon sour gummies.

Julia Gryglewski

Julia loves working with kids and teaching them future life skills! Miss Julia had lots of experience babysitting and coaching a middle school volleyball team. Her work as a volleyball coach has taught her to be a positive and patient teacher and hopes to bring that to Barron Swim School. Outside of the pool, Julia loves volleyball (obviously), hanging out with her friends and her two dogs Hazel and Luna. Her favorite candies are Mike and Ikes!

Ellie Tiepelman

Miss Ellie enjoys working at Barron because of its fun and family friendly environment. She loves how welcoming the staff is and enjoys teaching her students the importance of water safety skills. Ellie’s hobbies are playing softball, listening to music, being outside, hanging out with friends, and playing with her siblings and two dogs. Miss Ellie’s favorite candies are Gummy Bears! 

Kara Guentz

Miss Guentz is a high school math teacher and enjoys being around people! She loves teaching swim lessons and teaching them about water safety. Kara lives with her husband, four kids, and 2 dogs. When she is not busy with her family, she enjoys walking, swimming, and being outdoors. Miss Kara has taught swimming and lifeguarded for 17 years and has been a teacher for 19! Her favorite candies are carmello’s and M&M’s!

Peyton Vest

Coach Peyton loves working with kids. Peyton has experience working with fourth graders, coaching for Girls on the Run, coaching a summer swim team, and working with Teens as Teachers. Peyton has been a swimmer for 4 years and has been on 3 different swim teams. She loves getting to work with kids of all ages and loves seeing them have fun. In her free time, Peyton likes to read, paint, and draw. She loves her two dogs Bailey and Charlie and her favorite candies are Kitkats and M&M’s.

Darcy Granda

Darcy absolutely loves working with kids! Her experience with kids comes from babysitting her younger cousins and she is so excited to teach swim lessons. Miss Darcy has been swimming for most of her life and swims on her highschool swim team and water polo team. Her strengths are her patience with the kids and being able to focus on skills while also having fun. Her favorite candies are Nerds Gummy Clusters!

Emily Buss

Coach Emily loves teaching at Barron Swim School. Emily has lots of swim experience as she has been a swimmer for almost 7 years. She has been on a competitive team for most of that time and helped coach some of the younger swimmers. Emily loves being around kids and likes to babysit in her free time. What makes Emily a fantastic swim teacher is her experience in the water and her level of patience with children. Outside of Barron, Emily likes to spend time with friends and family, swim, travel, and play with her dogs Binny and Sophie. Emily’s favorite candies are Pretzel M&M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Olivia Gawronski

Olivia is an experienced swimmer and swim teacher. She has been a competitive swimmer for 15 years, coached a summer team for 6 years, and taught swim lessons for 4 years. Olivia’s strengths lie in her ability to explain swim technique and coach all ages of swimmers. Olivia is originally from Chicago but now goes to UMSL. Fun facts about Olivia, she can speak Polish and has two cats, Avocado and Kiwi. Her favorite candy is Peanut M&M’s.

Alexa Matoushek

Alexa loves to be around kids. She has been swimming since she was a little girl and has been on competitive swim teams since third grade. Alexa plays all water sports you can think of, including diving, water polo, and of course, swimming. What Alexa is fantastic at is teaching with a smile and letting her bubbly personality out so the kids can be comfortable and have fun. Outside of the pool, Alexa likes to cook and bake with her mom, go on ski vacations, and play with her French Bulldog named Molly Waffles! Her favorite candy is gummy worms. 

Noah Kohlberg

Dina Parikh

Noah Varga