North Beach Water Polo

Claire Howie

Executive Director

North Beach Water Polo

Claire Howie is the founder and Executive Director of North Beach Water Polo Club, a 501(c)(3) not-for- profit foundation.  Her passion for water polo is second only to her commitment to the personal fulfillment and success of each individual who participates in the sport.   Working with an exceptional coaching staff, she has developed programs and curriculum for the Club focused on 360 degree athlete training including: water polo fundamentals, water polo elite-skill development, shot technique, sports psychology, game strategy, weight training and yoga strengthening.

Claire’s tenure as a coach and athlete extends well over a decade.  In addition to her role as Executive Director for North Beach Water Polo, she currently serves as the Head Coach for the Evaston High School Girls’ Water Polo Team.   She is also a consulting coach for seasonal, elite west coast water polo training camps and Ivy League collegiate camps.   Prior to moving to Chicago, Claire served as Head Coach for the swim team and Assistant Coach for the water polo team at St. John Bosco in Southern California.

Claire is an active part of the international water polo community, is a member of American Water Polo and USA Water Polo.  She works closely with former Olympic Coaches Ken Lindgren, Stan Sprague and Monte Nitzkowski and collegiate coaches Felix Mercado of Brown University, Adam Foley of MIT and Alan Huckins of Hartwick University.

Claire was recruited as goalie for the Division I California State University, Long Beach Womens’ Water Polo Team.  This on the heels of a banner high school career where she was named All-American, was selected to be part of the Youth National program and served as team captain.

Claire@northbeachwaterpolo.com

562-522-0749

Gerrit Adams

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Coach Gerrit Adams was recruited from New Trier High school as a two-meter defender for the Division I Brown University Men’s Water Polo team where he served as Co-Captain with fellow former Trevian, Alex Robb.  He was recognized as one of the premier two-meter defenders in the nation by the Collegiate Water Polo Association.  Gerrit was named to CWPA’s All-North First Team for three consecutive years, to the All-East First Team and was selected twice in a single season as the CWPA’s Northern Division Player of the Week.

His collegiate career was preceded by three years as a varsity starter for the New Trier High School Boy’s Water Polo team.  He was a two-time All-American, received All-State and All-Sectional honors in addition to the Water Polo Academic Excellence Award and was named Senior Captain for New Trier’s team.

Adams graduated as an Academic All-Ivy honoree from Brown University with a BS in Neuroscience.  He then went on to play water polo for the NWP League in Australia before returning home to Winnetka and continuing his decade plus long coaching career, sharing his passion and expertise in swimming and water polo.  In addition to coaching for the North Beach Water Polo Club, Gerrit is also currently the Head Coach for Northwestern University’s Men’s Water Polo Club.

Gerrit@northbeachwaterpolo.com

Tom Saleh

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Coach Tom Saleh got his start at New Trier High School where he was All-Conference, All-Sectional and named team Captain for the boys’ water polo team.  Tom was President and Captain for Northwestern University’s club team, playing all four years as he earned his BA in American History.  During that time he also returned to New Trier as the Assistant Coach for the boys’ water polo team in 2007 and 2008.  And he’s back at New Trier once again but this time to cheer on his sister Claire who’s playing for the New Trier Girls’ Water Polo Team.

David Melnick

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Tom Pederson

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Tim Dale

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Lily Nassiri

Coach

North Beach Water Polo

Felix Mercado

Clinic Coach & Club Consultant

Brown University Head Coach

Felix Mercado is the head coach for Brown University Men’s and Women’s Division I Water Polo teams.  2009 was a banner year for both teams with Felix leading the Men’s team to win the Northern Division Championship and the Women’s team winning the Eastern College Association Conference Championship.  Felix was honored by the Collegiate Water Polo Association as the Northern Division Coach of the Year for three consecutive years, 2007-2009.

He was recruited away from MIT where he was head coach for the men’s varsity team and women’s club team.  In 2006, he was named CWPA Division III and CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year after leading MIT’s men’s team to a second-place finish at the Division III Eastern Championship and the team’s third-ever appearance at the Division I Eastern Championship.  As coach of the MIT women’s club team, Mercado’s squads posted a 30-3 record, making back-to-back appearances at the Club National Championships. He was named the North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2007.

Before arriving in Cambridge, Mercado spent 11 years coaching the elite program at national power house Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Fla.  During his tenure, Mercado led the boys’ team to three State Championships and coached the girls’ program to six straight Final Four finishes.

Mercado founded and was the head coach for the Raider Water Polo Club Foundation and led the program to six Southeast Zone Championships. He has offered his coaching expertise at numerous national team development camps for USA Water Polo and is the current head coach for the U.S. Water Polo Northeast Junior team.

Mercado earned his BS in Business Administration Management from American Intercontinental University and received a degree in secondary Education from Miami Dade College.   He resides in Attleboro, Massachusetts with his wife Jill, future water polo phenom, Emma and a new team member arriving in June 2010.