What was your swimming experience?
I had a much different club swimming experience than most. Growing up, I swam three days a week for an hour up until I was 14. I swam, but I didn’t really enjoy the sport. As I got a little older, I was still not sold on swimming competitively, but I enjoyed the team aspect of high school swimming, and it wasn’t until I got to college that I really discovered what the sport of swimming had to offer. In college, I really connected with my coaches and teammates and grew to love the sport and all the ups and downs that come with it. With my increased commitment level, I really took off in college and quickly improved.
My connection with my college coach made the biggest difference for me. That coach really helped me understand what we were doing, why we were doing it, and how it was going to help me. I appreciated how much he cared about helping me do my best. As an age group swimmer, I didn’t connect with any of my coaches the way I connected with my college coaches, and I believe that would have made my age group swimming experience much better!
Why do you coach?
I coach because I love the sport and helping athletes discover that they are capable of more. I think back to my age group swimming experience and aim to be the coach that I wish I would have had earlier in my swimming career. I want to connect with the swimmers, create an environment that they want to be a part of, and inspire them to push themselves to do things that they didn’t know were possible.
What’s the most important thing you learned from swimming that you have applied to your life?
Through swimming, I’ve learned that there is no “perfect” way to do things. Whether it’s in school, at work, or in life, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. All that matters is that you are doing your best to learn and better yourself everyday. Swimmer’s learn to challenge themselves and find ways to move forward and improve, even when the task at hand or the goal seems impossible. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if what you did is perfect. If you’re committed to being 1% better everyday, overtime you’ll get where you want to be.
How does NAC compare to the other teams that you have been a part of?
NAC is a tradition-rich program and I’m very excited to be here! The success of the program over the years speaks for itself. At the Age Group, NAC believes in Long-Term Athlete Development and focuses on teaching and creating an environment for success. With our youngest athletes, we teach the fundamentals of the sport and help them learn to focus and be proud of their effort daily. As they continue through the program, we continue to reinforce these important life skills while helping them learn to be tough and committed swimmers!
Swimming is not an easy sport, but it can be so rewarding if we give the athletes the foundation and tools they need to achieve their goals! I believe NAC’s evidenced-based approach separates the program from other programs out there, and that’s why I wanted to come to Nashville!
