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A Letter
to the Senior Group from Donnie & Ronnie
Following possibly the
strongest year of swimming development in the team’s history,
Ronnie and I wanted to give an update on the team’s progress
and standing, as well as talk about the extraordinary group that we
are privileged to work with.
“The Big
Picture”
As time and years go on,
we become more convinced that what can and should be gained from
sports, is truly invaluable and can be life-changing. For the countless hours
committed, the physical, emotional, and financial commitment, and
the sacrifices made, there has to be more than a time at the end of
this process. Every
time we see a youth sports team, from t-ball to collegiate
athletics, we wonder what will be the real reward from all of
this. After thirty
years, we have no doubt that sports does have the ability to effect
extraordinarily positive changes in an athlete’s life. From a general youth
perspective, you can walk through any mall, high school campus, or
pool deck for that matter and see foundations of character and
integrity slipping away. In swimming, we see too many
careers unravel from overzealous parents and kids obsessed with
times or ego. Both
miss the big picture and they ultimately lose out in the broader
areas of personal development and team environment. Energy and effort seems to flow
into areas that actually break down a career rather than support
its longevity. We see
this all too often in rec swimming with the emotional overload and
even in
USA
swimming with training overload. Parents ask their kids who
they beat in practice rather than who they helped in practice and
seem to care more about their kid’s time and place rather
than their effort and attitude. There was an article in a
national newspaper recently about the fundamentals in AAU (youth)
basketball disintegrating due to the drive to be a
“star.”
And one of the main reasons cited was the NBA, the pinnacle of
basketball. No one
wants to be a character role model, let alone fundamentally
sound. The process is
getting lost and with it, so are the virtues of team commitment,
work ethic, sacrifice, and on and on. Regarding respect and discipline,
we talk to coaches regularly about how they are “losing the
battle” with kids. The pull of apathy,
self-indulgement, drugs, alcohol, insecurity, and bravado seem to
trump integrity, service, humility, and discipline. Too many sports teams are
dominated by ego over humility, selfishness over selflessness,
disrespect over respect, and doing the minimum rather than
embracing work ethic. It is not simply that there are a few
problematic athletes on a team, but rather there may only be a few
true character leaders, which brings us to your children and our
team.
Our Mission as
Coaches
We would first though,
like to reiterate our mission, philosophy, and intent, with regard
to Orinda Aquatics, our coaching careers, and what we want to be
doing with our lives.
It is our intention and desire to be more than coaches, but rather
partners with our swimmers on their athletic journey, and to a
greater extent, partners on their life journey. Our ultimate goal is that four or
eight years from now they are swimming at their very best, loving
the sport, are leaders on their team, and are better people. And there is no one meet on
that path that will define it more than the process reflected in
the quote below, “it is produced in the great
manufacture of daily duty.” We have always wanted this team
and the environment to be different and to stand apart from the
norm. The best and
first way to achieve this is to care “intensely” about
people and their well-being first and swimming second. We do not and have never viewed
our relationship or support ending when practice ends or when we
leave a meet. It is the least we can do for their commitment to
swimming, to Orinda Aquatics, and to us. In short, your children have our
unconditional support in the pool and out.
“Prepare the child for the path, not
the path for the child.”
Our
Team
We would like to attempt
to describe the team environment and try to do justice to this
group. This has been
unequivocally the greatest “character group” we have
seen in thirty years.
It may sound redundant as we praise them often, but we really do
believe that this group sets a standard that is unmatched by any
high school athletic group in the country. As we see teen trends drift in
troubling directions, this group is doing the opposite. Our swimmers, your children,
demonstrate not some of
the qualities, but all
of the qualities you would hope to find in the finest person, let
alone athlete.
They possess humility
rarely seen in young adults, or actually anyone. It is humility almost to a fault,
and to a person.
Whether new to the group, a four-year veteran, a beginning swimmer
or a national qualifier, there is no self-promotion, no spotlight,
no ego. Attention and praise is always
deflected. On too many
teams one can tell the success of a swimmer by the way in which
they carry themselves.
On Orinda Aquatics, it almost seems to be a race to be the most
humble as apposed to being the most celebrated.
As kids today are
challenged with academicpressure, social pressure, and athletic
demands, your children find balance, find a way to make it work,
and succeed. They
respect academics and embrace it as a foundation of their
life. They are the
community example, if not the national example of the
quintessential student/athlete. While many can excel in one area,
few can have the self-discipline to set an alarm at 4:45 in the
morning, take pool covers off in the wind and rain, push themselves
physically and emotionally every day (of the year), sacrifice
countless opportunities, and simultaneously commit to the highest
academic standards. It
takes a special person to be a great student, a great athlete, and
a great person in this day and yes, in this
community.
Additionally, they could
not be more respectful, helpful, supportive, and sincere. How many coaches, teachers,
administrators, could walk away from fifty teenagers with complete confidence that there
would be no drop-off in activity, effort, or focus, and that the
thought of doing less would not enter anyone’s mind? How many
coaches can have a fifty meter pool set up for every workout
without ever asking anyone to do anything? There is never a “why
me” or a “do I have to” attitude. It is incredibly refreshing and a
great source of pride to see even the least glamorous parts of
swimming treated with such respect, and with a positive
attitude. How many
coaches can take forty athletes (of any sport) on a four day travel
trip and have absolute assurance that their behavior would be
impeccable - from everyone? Our team continues to rebuff the
notion that kids need to be chaperoned. To the contrary, mature, caring,
respectful, young adults do not. Oversight is always a character
issue and not an age issue. They clearly prove that. Whether it is an activity
at the pool or a cross-country trip, their character does not
change and neither does the respect or behavior. We honestly feel sorry for teams,
coaches, and parents that do not get to experience this. Most teams look for
“leaders” or high character kids with a team
captain-like mentality, that special one or two that might improve
the environment and make the team better. College coaches want “good,
positive, kids”.
That is our team. Not
one, two, or five, but fifty.
A freshman boy climbs out
of the pool asking to talk after he struggles through a hard
set. Rather than
making an excuse or complain because the interval or set was too
hard, he apologizes for not doing better and vows to do better next
time. A swimmer gives
up a relay spot at a championship meet because he is “not at
his best” and the relay goes on to win (and he had the
fastest time of any swimmer in consideration). A swimmer, who when asked if she
wanted to swim in college, replies, “I could not imagine my
life without swimming,” swimmers stand in the wind and rain
for a “meeting” during workout without complaining,
swimmers persevere through injury – with a positive attitude,
seniors fix broken lanes lines, and swimmers thank us everyday for the practice.
And the random acts of
kindness and respect are too numerous to mention. They are daily occurrences. As an example of
self-discipline, earlier this season Ronnie could not be at a few
workouts due to a conflict. I asked if he needed me to oversee his
group. He said they
would be fine and he would email them the workout. I watched in awe everyday at
their focus, maturity, and punishing work ethic as they
painstakingly went through every detail of the workout, with no
“supervision”.
And this group rebuffs
more myths than teen supervision. In a rec dominated community
which that is sure that year-round swimming will only lead to
“burn-out” and deficient academics, they again prove
the opposite - that by doing something positive that you enjoy can
actually be a good thing, and that strength in academics is really
more about self-discipline than free time.
Another very unique
characteristic on this team is the extraordinary maturity of our
freshman (and eighth grade) group. They clearly swam incredibly well
in league meets and
North
Coast
, but more significantly they have
demonstrated poise, respect, and sincerity that usually takes years
to develop. Our
freshmen could be team captains on any high school team. It is a testament to their
character but also to the steady and uncompromising leadership of
our upperclassmen.
While it is common to haze, “initiate”, delegate to, or
keep freshman on a lower level, our team and our seniors see
everyone as an equal, and see the value in creating our future
(leaders) today.
The drug and alcohol
epidemic or crisis is not going to change or mitigate without
inspirational young adults making an intelligent and conscious
choice for a better, healthier, and more productive way of
life. They are our
hope. Your children
represent much more than swimming. Regarding “life
lessons”, they are life lessons and will be life’s
leaders. They are
inspirational stories, individually and collectively. While they will be successful, it
will be their humility, character, and work ethic that drive their
lives and impact others. We thank them for putting
“character (and the team) first” and thank you for
sharing them with us and allowing them to represent this team as
the pinnacle of youth sports and young adults. And we want to thank you again
for your support and hope that you share in the pride of this great
organization.
Donnie &
Ronnie
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