The swim team has now started practices for their upcoming season. Although swimming is often practiced and competed as team sport, a very important aspect to the success of the swimmer is to invest in themselves.

“It’s something that if you invest in yourself, you can find improvements based on your work and based on what you put in,” assistant swim coach Holly Miller said. “I love seeing the excitement from my swimmers when they start out and the difference that they make. They are competing against themselves and trying to improve themselves.”

Things may seem hard at first, but if a swimmer keeps trying, things will get easier. 

 “I feel that the biggest advice I could give a new swimmer is just to have fun and work hard doing it,” junior Emma Brown said. “It may seem hard, and you may get upset with yourself. That is understandable because sports are hard, but you have to learn how to work through it and work hard to reach that goal. One of my favorite parts about swimming is the team and the coach. Coach Mike is one of the best coaches I know.” 

Brown’s love of swimming grew over the last season.

“So, I thought I would try it,” Brown said. “I swam for 35 days total last year, and I fell in love with it.”

Brown’s decision to initially manage the swim team came after injuries in basketball and two ankle surgeries.

“I thought I would never play sports like I did before,” Brown said, “So, I decided to manage swim, and this is one of the best things I could do. In the middle of the season, he told me he thought I would be a great swimmer, and I had just gotten cleared for sports. Not only did I fall in love with the sport, I fell in love with the team and coaching staff.”

Dive coach Brittany Ely shares her favorite part about coaching.

“My favorite part about coaching is probably watching people grow in confidence,” Ely said. “Or, working towards and achieving their goals, seeing that light bulb go off when they realize they believe in themselves makes me so happy.”