New coach brings new philosophy

Second Place

Sports Story

Division 3

New coach brings new philosophy

Shea Mascia

Grade 10

E-Town ExPRESSion

Elizabethtown HS

Adviser: Michele Cekovsky Henry

Talented is the way newest swim coach Chris Roberts describes the swim team this season. Although both boys and girls have a losing record, Roberts is sure that hard work will eventually pay off.

“Our season is going well. I’ve seen a vast improvement of times from a lot of the swimmers. The boys’ team, though small, has pulled out a couple of wins. The girls’ team has a lot of depth and strong talent,” Roberts said.

For the past four years the team has struggled to find a permanent coach. However, she affirms that after moving here from North Carolina, she is here to stay.

“I really like it here and the swimmers are great. It was a big transition for me to make, but I’m glad that I did,” Roberts said.

She added that she enjoys coaching and took the position at E-town because it was a wise career move.

“The team is extremely talented, hardworking and they keep me laughing. I love it. I have been coaching for years so when I was offered this job I was excited and I thought it would be a great opportunity to further my career,” she said.

Roberts hopes that with her help and the natural talent of the athletes, they will have a good outlook for next season. As the team is comprised of many seniors and freshmen, it will be a challenge for younger swimmers next year.

“The team will definitely take a loss when the seniors leave, but we have some underclassmen who are strong swimmers. They will have a step up next year,” she said.

Junior Abby Curtin agrees that the newest members of the team deserve credit for their exceptional efforts.

“There are lots of new swimmers this year. It’s hard to jump right into swimming without any experience, especially when most of us have been swimming for years. I’m really impressed with how hard they are willing to work to perfect their technique,” she said.

Some of the top swimmers, according to Roberts, that lead the work ethic and spirit of the team include senior captains Courtney Bentz, Peter Davis, Chloe Hockley, Erin Kurtz, and Zach McElheny. She added that it would be difficult to choose additional key athletes because many are evenly matched in talent.

Robert admits motivating these athletes before a meet is probably the easiest part of her job.

“The team is already motivated to win because obviously sports are more fun when you’re winning. I encourage everyone and sometimes we reward the team with games during practice too, “Roberts said.

Overall, Roberts is confident that she has impacted the team in a positive way that will carry over into next season.

“The team has cycled through a lot of new coaches, which makes it difficult to improve. I hope that by sticking with this team it will provide some stability. I try to constantly encourage and push people to become better swimmers,” she said.

Sophomore Stephanie Skees said Roberts is an all-around benefit to the team.

“I really like Chris. She has tough practices where we all work hard, but I’m seeing an improvement in my own times so I’m glad she pushed us to our limits. I think we’ll have a stronger team next year,” Skees said.

Other members of the team remain optimistic as well.

“The team is losing some good seniors this year but we have a lot of talent coming up next year that will help our program. We have been putting lots of effort in so I think the team will improve next year,” senior Jeff Norton said.