Meet our Coaches
We're passionate about swimming and empower people to become stronger swimmers.
Head Coach Niki Kates
Niki comes to TEME as an avid swimmer and coach. She swam competitively from age six through college, where her coaching career began. Niki has coached all levels of swimmers—from learn-to-swim through college students—and she has experience coaching athletes with disabilities.
Off deck and out of the water, Niki is pursuing her law degree and entering her triathlete era (her inbox is open to advice about running and/or tort law).
Above all, Niki loves being part of a team and supporting her swimmers in improving and striving for their goals. She is excited about getting to know each swimmer and sharing her passion for the sport with the team.
Coach Monica Haddad
Monica brings over 20 years of swimming experience to Temescal in addition to teaching psychical education to Bay Area students.
She loves being on deck and is happy for having the opportunity to work with the swimmers of Temescal Aquatic Masters.
Always upbeat, Monica inspires her swimmers with her humor and strong work ethic.
Coach Dirk Dino
Dirk is life-long swimmer, swimming competitively from the age of 10 through his first year of college, and then several years of triathlons after college.
He now swims with Teme, as well as coaching part-time at Teme and at a local fitness club.
Dirk also dedicates several months a year to coaching Special Olympics swimming in Oakland.
Coach Dave Hussein
Dave has been swimming his entire life. Starting at seven years old, he was a competitive swimmer until graduating from high school.
He has developed a multi-faceted career in aquatics that ranges from coaching high school physical education swimming to managing and supervising pools and even lakes. An avid open water swimmer, Dave often can be found swimming in the Bay.
On deck, he engages swimmers with his positive attitude and desire to share pointers about efficient stroke technique.
Coach Naji Ali
Naji Ali has been coaching and teaching swimming for over 14 years. He is a certified Total Immersion Swim instructor and an accomplished open water marathon swimmer.
His passion for swimming centers around his desire to teach Black and Brown children and adults how to swim regardless of ability to pay.
He is the proud head coach of the Oakland Tech high school swim team and actively teaches and coaches in the Oakland Parks and Rec summer league. Naji's inspiration for swimming is a result of his long-term relationship with his swimming mentor - Malachi Cunningham - one of the first African Americans to coach at the NCAA level.
Coach Nkosazana Nkulueko
Nkosazana Nkululeko is an Oakland native whose love for swimming began at Defremery pool where she took her first strokes. Her passion for swimming continued to grow as she swam competitively from the age of 8 through college.
In addition to being a part-time coach at Temescal, she is also a coach for the Oakland Undercurrents, the swim team that she swam for from 8 through high school. Sharing the sport of swimming with others truly brings Nkosazana joy.
Not only is swimming a life skill but it is a sport that we can continue to enjoy for the rest of our lives.
Coach Katherine Suyeyasu
Second only to being in the water, watching swimmers from the deck is a favorite for Katherine at the TEME pool. Okay, maybe third if you add eating snacks on deck with teammates after a good workout. Katherine enjoys learning from what she sees from the deck, sharing those observations with the swimmers she is coaching and, once she's back in the water, playing around with how she might help a TEME swimmer improve or use what she has observed to improve her own stroke.
Being a part of TEME brings Katherine great joy. She's grateful to all of her teammates who, from her earliest years as a Tortuga, have inspired her and continue to support her growth as a swimmer.
