Coaching Staff
Head Coach:
Haley Potter
We’re thrilled to welcome Haley Potter, who will be leading the Water Otters as Head Coach this season. Haley is a former college swimmer at UC Davis with a lifelong love of the sport and a strong coaching foundation built through competitive swimming and athlete development. Her competitive coaching experience comes through Northern Sierra Swimming (NSS), and she also brings hands-on experience providing private swim lessons, working closely with swimmers to build technique, confidence, and skill progression.
Haley is USA Swimming–certified and is passionate about running structured, intentional practices while maintaining the fun, encouraging spirit that defines a great summer rec team. She’s also a Water Otters parent—her two children, ages 8 and 10, will be swimming on the team this summer—giving her both a coach’s and a parent’s perspective on creating a great experience for swimmers and families.
Assistant Coach:
Theo Van Vacas Gagnon
Theo Van Vacas Gagnon was a Water Otter for 7 years before joining a competitive high school swim team. After high school, he served as the Head Coach of Water Otters. After a brief sabbatical, he is excited to be back coaching the Water Otters! During the off season, he is a history education major at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Assistant Coach:
Kami Prescott
Kami has been with the Water Otters since 2013 (starting as an otter herself!), and brings an energy and enthusiasm for the team that is often unmatched! She was an Assistant Coach in the 2025 season, and is looking forward to returning to be with your kiddos! During the school year, she is a student at California State Monterey- where she is even an otter during our off season.
Assistant Coach:
Nicole Drummond
Nicole comes to the Water Otters directly from the Lake Wildwood pool where she teaches swim lessons and participates as a Water Otter herself! She brings a lifelong love of the sport, and coaches with a thoughtful, energetic demeanor.
Volunteer Parent Coach:
Elsie Wenger
We’re thrilled to welcome Elsie as our parent coach volunteer this season. Elsie brings elite-level experience, a deep love of aquatics, and a passion for mentoring young athletes.
Elsie is a two-time Olympic water polo medalist, earning silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and gold at the 2012 London Olympics as a member of Team USA. She played collegiately at UC Berkeley and was later inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport.
As a parent coach volunteer, Elsie will support swimmers with skill development, teamwork, confidence, and meet preparation—bringing a championship mindset while keeping the focus on fun, growth, and community. We’re incredibly lucky to have her as part of the Water Otters coaching team!