ABOUT
Our Team
Founded by Ali Meeks,
Nationally Certified USA Triathlon and Training Peaks Coach, Certified Red Cross Lifeguard,
and American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer.
COACHES AND STAFF
The people working with ReadySetSplash are handpicked for their background and experience in teaching, training, and athletic activities, and hold the highest standards in excellence and professionalism.
Want to teach with us? Get in touch via our Contact Us page and we’ll reach out so you can submit your resume!
Ali Meeks
Founder
Coach Ali swam with USA Swimming club Dayton Raiders as a youth and swam for NCAA Division 1 Miami University in college. She later joined the exciting world of multisport, completing over 10 marathons, triathlons in the distance categories of sprint, Olympic distance, and half-Ironman, and three full Ironmans, plus two 10 mile river swims, and one 7 mile ocean swim. Her contagious energy led to a career in helping people of all types achieve their unique goals. She has coached several Ironman finishers and many first-time triathletes, as well as taught many children and adults to swim for the first time.
Beth Purvee
Administrative Coordinator
Beth Purvee has 9 years of studio administration experience and 4 years with JackRabbit software. She is a graduate of Augusta State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She has been married for 18 years and has 2 daughters, a 16 year old and a 6 year old. While she has no competitive swim experience (yet!), she enjoys a lifetime of memories spent swimming with her family.
Tami Scott
Administrative Support
Tami Scott is a multi-talented wife, mother, baker, and office assistant for both Ready, Set, Splash and Kane and Co Dance Studio. She is a graduate of Augusta State University with a BA in Psychology. She worked in Property Management for 16 years before becoming a full time stay at home parent and professional. She has been married for 17 years and has four amazing daughters: Olivia, Ruby, Libby, and Harley. In her spare time, she makes and sells custom treats with her business, Sweet TES Treats! Tami loves the water and hopes with us that her girls will become lifeguards one day!
Matt McGraw
Swim Instructor
Coach Matt is an accomplished teacher who has had a passion for swimming since he began at the age of 5 in his hometown of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Since then, he has continued his practice in Amphibious Reconnaissance in the Marine Corps where he would begin every training day with a 5 to 10 mile run to the training facility or ocean, 500 timed meters 3 to 5 times, and then kicking with fins up to 3 miles with 85 pound backpacks!! Plus he enjoyed various exercises to promote underwater efficiency such as breath work and form correction. And, of course, he still enjoys scuba diving, snorkeling, and free diving today! His skill in teaching and love for sharing knowledge has lead him tons of teaching roles. He has taught such fields as demolitions, communications, amphibious operations, and marksmanship. Outside of the Marine Corps, he also continued teaching in the fields of English, Turkish, Philosophy, and Psychology. In fact, he now even teaches in the music industry in a few different capacities! He’s taught ages 4 to 73, if you combine all of the above listed disciplines, and he loves every single human at every single age!
Julia McClellan
Swim Instructor
Coach Julia’s favorite thing to do is to swim and teach people how to swim! She loves the water so much that not only did she compete on the high school swim team in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, but she taught swimming throughout high school and in her college years at Western Kentucky University. One of Julia’s great strengths is her calming and enthusiastic demeanor that complements her ability to make swimming fun and exciting for all ages. She is passionate about sharing her gifts toward the goal of reducing drowning across the globe.
Adriene Weller
Swim Instructor
Coach Adriene grew up around water and still claims it as her happy place. She swam for Eastern Illinois University and coached for both the St. Peter’s Rec-Plex Sharks as well as the Mid-Missouri Aquatic Club. She has taught swim lessons for over 15 years. She is also a high school history teacher in Limestone County!
Whitney Crumbough
Swim Instructor
Coach Whitney has been a swimmer since her toddler years and has never stopped loving it. She is a former swim team member who got her start teaching family and friends. She has taught swimmers of all ages and enjoys spreading her love for swimming. Coach Whitney’s main objective is to assist parents in ensuring their children as well as themselves will not only begin to HAVE FUN in the water but feel more safe in the process!! Whitney is especially proud of her son who excels on his club and highschool teams!
Wendi Scott
Swim Instructor
Coach Wendi has lived her life in and around the water and has been teaching swim lessons for over 20 years. She has certifications in Red Cross Water Safety Instruction (WSI), and is certified to teach lifeguarding, CPR, and First Aid Classes, and has a degree in Aquatic Management. Wendi coached USA Swimming and YMCA swim teams for 5 years and in all her free time (??!!) is an accomplished sailor, SCUBA diver and instructor, and kayaker to boot! In addition to being a master of the water, Wendi has several active kids that keep her hopping!
Isaac Kelsey
Swim Instructor
Coach Isaac has been a swim instructor and lifeguard since he was 15. He has always had a passion for the water and teaching people how to swim. He joined the swim team and eventually became the team captain in high school, competing in many different races and relays. He loves working with people and takes pride in patiently helping them develop their skills and confidence in the water. He has a good understanding of how to teach students of all different levels, knowing that everyone learns at their own pace. His goal is to be a trusted friend while making sure his students become proficient in the water. In addition to swimming, Coach Isaac loves being outdoors, running, weightlifting, and traveling with his wife Johana.
Alaina Aldridge
Swim Instructor
Coach Alaina has been swimming for most of her life and loves working with others in the pool! She is a former Decatur Area Swim Team star and has taught swim lessons and lifeguarded for several years. Coach Alaina has worked with swimmers who both love and fear the water and is ready to help anyone learn to swim and enjoy it at the same time.
Melissa Moore
Swim Instructor
Coach Melissa comes from a swim team background, having fallen in love with the water as a child. Before coming on board with us, Coach Melissa taught students on her own for 8 years, including her own kids, which, as any parent knows, is truly a great feat! She has also served as a lifeguard and swim instructor for the City of Decatur, in addition to providing Certified Nursing assistance services for over 10 years. She truly loves teaching water and water safety to kids and adults of any age!
Melissa Moore
Swim Instructor
Coach Melissa comes from a swim team background, having fallen in love with the water as a child. Before coming on board with us, Coach Melissa taught students on her own for 8 years, including her own kids, which, as any parent knows, is truly a great feat! She has also served as a lifeguard and swim instructor for the City of Decatur, in addition to providing Certified Nursing assistance services for over 10 years. She truly loves teaching water and water safety to kids and adults of any age!
Ryan Rhoades
Swim Instructor
Coach Ryan is a 6-time Alabama state champion swimmer, was the 2003 national high school swimmer of the year, and swam for the University of Tennessee as a collegiate athlete. In addition, one terrific highlight of his career was qualifying for the Olympic Trials! These days, he enjoys applying his credentials to the next generation of swimmers and instills his love of the water in all of his students. He has taught and coached all ages and skill levels over the years.
Adriene Weller
Swim Instructor
Coach Adriene grew up around water and still claims it as her happy place. She swam for Eastern Illinois University and coached for both the St. Peter’s Rec-Plex Sharks as well as the Mid-Missouri Aquatic Club. She has taught swim lessons for over 15 years. She is also a high school history teacher in Limestone County!
Sarah Shirley
Swim Instructor
Coach Sarah is a former competitive swimmer who has been swimming beautifully since she was 5 years old! She is a multisport athlete, also competing in cross country running as well as the sport of triathlon. Sarah especially enjoys working with kids and is excited that swim lessons brings her love of swimming together with her skills and passion for teaching others. In her “free” time, Sarah loves numbers and is pursuing a “side” career in finance!
Emma Williams
Swim Instructor
Coach Emma is an avid swimmer and loves being in the water! She was a competitive swimmer with the Madison Swim Association and the James Clemens High School Team in which she was captain her senior year! She attends Western Kentucky University pursuing her degree in health sciences because she enjoys being around and helping others. She has a passion for teaching water safety and enjoys working with all ages!
Children's Lessons
"Well, THAT was the best money I've ever spent on swim lessons!"
"Both girls are swimming all over our pool like little fish. Even (the little one) is jumping off the diving board and swimming all the way to the stairs in the shallow end! ...They are both really growing in confidence (and I don't feel like I'm going to have a panic attack every time they're in the pool! :). Thank you so much!!
(After our lessons with you, we went to another pool and (our daughter)...I didn't think she could do it. But she's confident and strong in the water, because of you."
"Thank you for a fantastic 6 weeks of swim lessons! The boys learned so much and had so much fun. Almost every day they woke up asking, 'Is it swim lesson day?'"
We made more progress with my children in 3 lessons than our former private teacher did in the 3 months we were there. At this point, we have been doing lessons for four months and couldn’t be happier. Each chlid learns in a way that suits their learning style rather than a one size fits all approach."
"Swim lessons have been the best confidence builder for my six year old son! He was afraid of getting his head wet in the pool six weeks ago. Now, he is learning strokes and swimming from side to side in the pool and loves to swim! Two thumbs up!"
"We are very pleased with (our son's) progress and loved how you interacted with him! We will be recommending you to anyone who needs swim lessons...!"
"Our 3 year old was terrified of going under water. Our 6 year old had a traumatic swimming experience at age 4 and was hesitant to get off the pool stairs and our 9 year old has an autism spectrum disorder. Now, all three are swimming underwater, learning different strokes, and enjoying each lesson. "
"You are an excellent teacher—very detailed, explaining things in simple terms while giving clear demonstrations, and encouraging!"
Adult Lessons, Triathlon Coaching, and Swim Stroke Video Analyses
"Thank you again for all the help, my confidence in the water is through the roof because of you."
"This is basically the best money I've ever spent on swimming. You should charge more! Thank you so much, I love love love this!!"
"Before training with you, my swim used to be the WORST part of my race. Now it's my best."
Before training with you, my swim used to be the WORST part of my race. Now it's my best."
"We wanted to say how much we have enjoyed taking lessons and how much we feel we have improved as swimmers - I no longer dread going to the pool (which is a victory in itself!"
"Thanks for all your work to improve my swimming. The (triathlon) went pretty well... My swim improved by 0.5 mph and I was NOT exhausted when I got out of the water. Thanks again."
"In the first lesson, Ali gave me techniques that improved my power by 30 to 50 percent."
"Ali ...was very patient (with me) as I first had to overcome my fear of water. She knew just what I needed to be successful with my first triathlon. I can now say with confidence that I can swim!"
"Just want to say a really big THANK YOU to my swimming instructor, Ali Meeks. She has taken a guy who was honestly afraid of water and given him a huge confidence boost. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all of the instruction you've given me, Ali. I'm glad I had such an awesome teacher!"
"It feels really good to not be afraid of the water. Think I can give Michael Phelps a run for his money?!? Think people would believe that I only learned how to swim less than a year ago?"
"I went from someone who had just recovered from a long, difficult illness, who had only exercised occasionally during the previous five years, to swimming 3 miles across Pensacola Bay! ...