BISHOP LUERS SWIM TEAM SWIMMING THEIR PLAN
Bishop Luers currently has 540 students enrolled at its Paulding Road campus. Approximately 23 of those students are members of the swim team. Eighteen of them are on the girls swim team and 5 participate on the boys swim team. The girl’s team is on a 4-match win streak. In speaking with Coach Jeff Siples, he doesn’t even know where they rank in the SAC at this point. It is very apparent, when speaking with Coach Siples and some of the team members, that it doesn’t really matter.
Half of the kids on this year’s team have no swimming experience. The mantra that Coach Siples’ team lives by is, ‘plan your swim…swim your plan’. Senior Nichole Landon lists this goal setting as a big reason that the team has increased their level of success over the past couple of years. “Coach Siples is continually talking with us to set our goals and to do something everyday that helps lead us to achieve that goal.” “It’s the competition within our self that helps us have better times in our event,” Nichole says.
Erin Conroy is a senior who doesn’t swim in meets but serves as the team’s biggest cheerleader. When asked what her proudest swimming memory is she replied, “It hasn’t happened yet.” “When fellow senior Kris Andorfer finally breaks the 1:00 mark in the 100-butterfly, that will be my proudest memory.” It is that mentality that seems to have permeated throughout the Knights swim team. Every team member that I spoke to mentioned how much fun they have as a group and how they continually root for each other to achieve their goals.
Most athletes don’t really enjoy practicing. Jake Crouch, another senior, considers practice to be some of his most enjoyable swim experiences. “Coach Siples makes practicing really enjoyable,” says Jake. Among Jake’s most notable memories is when he posted a time of 30 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle during a meet last year.
Erin Hipskind, one of eight sophomores on the team, is one of the more ‘veteran’ swimmers. She has been swimming since she was 8 years old and was recently selected as an All-SAC performer. Erin thinks that determination and all of the teammates pushing each other has helped push the girls team to where they are today. “We have fun at practice, but we really push each other at the same time,” says Erin.
Coach Jeff Siples has been at Bishop Luers for only 3 years. He previously coached different age groups through the YMCA swimming program. “We had 16 girls show up my very first night,” Siples remarked. “We only had 9 show up the next night.” “I guess they realized that I take this sport seriously.”
Coach Siples 20+ years of experience have proven very beneficial to his students. They listen intently when he speaks. He has a good time with the kids, but there is no misunderstanding as to who is in charge and what they are there for. Once they get to practice, or a meet, they have already planned their swim. It’s time to get into the water and swim your plan.
They have been swimming their plan very well this season. With the current team mindset and dedication, they will be adjusting a lot of their goals do to achieving them at a very high level.
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