Born in Holland, his family immigrated to N.Y.C. in 1960. Four years later they moved to Westport, CT. Nico was the scholar-athlete of the year when he graduated from Staples High School. Nico is now a naturalized citizen (1974) and proud to be an American.

He holds a BS in Education from the University of Connecticut and earned his MA from Fairfield University. He holds many instructor certifications with the American Red Cross. Educator and Coach Nico Bergraat has a long record of success in Aquatics and Education.

He has some thirty plus years experience in Teaching and Coaching Swimming. He has been Head Coach of several successful high school teams. Nico has coached with United States Swimming (USS) and is a life time member of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). He is a certified aquatic manager. In addition to this, he has ten years experience as the Waterfront Director for Westport, CT. He has also been the Director and Head Coach for several private clubs and summer camps.

He loves the water and there isn't anything in or around the water he has not done. Competitive swim, water polo, triathlons and long distance open water races were all a part of his experiences. He recognizes the importance of competing against ourselves. Therefore, he strongly advocates for comparing or measuring progress based on each student's ability. Nico has taught and coached thousands of people and is currently Head Coach of the USS Swim Camp at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy part of the year.