Jump in with the swim team

Just keep swimming; those are the simple words that describe the attitude of the Plymouth State University women's swimming and diving team.  Competitive swimming and diving is a rigorous sport that resembles nothing of a pool party. During a regular practice, the girls can swim at least 2-3 miles in the pool. They do Pilates and dry land work outside of the water such as running and strength work. The mechanics of the different stokes are explained through the laws of physics. The push and pull of water propelling your body smoothly through the pool can be an invigorating feeling. Swimmers enter the water in a split second and adjust to their new liquid environment. They use their arms and legs simultaneously to glide through the water while working major muscles constantly. The PSU team has swimmers that do backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and the butterfly. Swimming is an interesting sport that might not get a lot of the attention it deserves and athletes that dedicate their time to competitive swimming really work hard to just keep swimming; a perfect example of these noteworthy athletes are the members of the PSU swimming and diving team and their coaches. 

The captain of the squad this year is Lindsay Graham, a senior who has been swimming on the team for the past four years.  "Swimming is definitely a sport that doesn't get enough credit" says Graham, "Granted its fun, but it is also a lot of hard work." She has been consistently swimming throughout her life and she says "It is something I have always been passionate for.  I love the feeling of out touching a girl by .03 seconds; it's crazy to me!" Many things make PSU swimming and diving team unique. According to Graham, "It's hard to get a group of girls to have the same drive and goals in mind, but I think we all do.  We all work hard day after day to improve our strokes, times, and strive to do our best." The girls have just begun practice a few weeks ago and are awaiting the start of the new season.  Graham said the past two seasons were very exciting for the team.  

They had a combined season record of 13-6, and last season they ended with seven wins and only two loses. "Like the past two years, I am eager to see the potential our team has. We did lose a few swimmers from last year, but I think we can make it up in different areas" says the senior captain. The man behind the whole operation is Coach Alan Switzer.  He is also very enthusiastic for the start of swim season.  This year's team has twelve girls on the roster and although it's a smaller number compared to previous seasons, Switzer remains positive and sets the same standards as previous years.  The team competes in an average of ten dual meets throughout the season plus the championships. "We particularly had a wonderful season last year" said Coach Switzer with the team winning their last five meets of their winter season.  The team faced some road blocks last season when the pool was closed for part of their season due to problems with filters. There was an introduction to a lot of land work and pool time had to be rented elsewhere. Although the season had its setbacks, the girls continued to thrive. According to Switzer, the team is starting with a good nucleus from last year. "I think every meet we have this year is going to be interesting because we have good swimmers" says the coach " we have to stay healthy and let the chips fall where they may, I am really excited about the season and I think the girls are excited as well." This year is coach Switzer's 20th season as the panthers head coach; he started in 1990 as a part time diving coach before he took over the reins the next year. He has been nothing but a dedicated Coach and Educator at PSU; he also teaches various aquatic classes in the PE center. If you have had him for a class, you know what kind of person he is and how he combines his passion and knowledge to inspire others. "I think we have had some outstanding swimmers and divers come through the program" stated Switzer, "we have had some high placing diving seasons and a lot of instances over the years, we have had qualified swimmers for nationals." He said he has had many highlights of different natures over the years. 

Prior to his time as Plymouth, Alan Switzer , a Harvard grad, coached for 19 seasons at University of Maine at Orono where he lead the men's program to two New England Division 1 titles. In 2001, he was inducted into the UMaine athletic hall of fame. Switzer is an iconic figure in the sport of swimming. He runs his own swim instruction program during the summers and has a very high success rate with teaching anyone how to swim. Lindsay Graham describes he coach as enthusiastic, dedicated and funny. "He is always pushing us to our limits and making us strive to be our best each day, he always has an upbeat personality and cheers for us during sets" Says the captain. Graham says she has never met a coach so dedicated and passionate. He loves what he does and he pays attention to each athlete individually, and he is always making them laugh.  

 The PSU Swimming and Diving team knows a few things about dedication and hard work.  According to Switzer, "swimming certainly takes a lot of individual work". Recreational swimming doesn't closely compare with swimming on the competitive level. Seventy-two lengths, which is swimming from one end of the pool to another, equals one mile.  The swim team can put in two to three miles of swimming a day and it's a lot of hard swimming. It's a tremendous conditioning sport and coach Switzer says "the head and the excitement have to be in it and these girls work hard and have real dedication." These girls take the activity of swimming to a different level. Their 2010-2011 kicks off November 5, when they face Regis College at Regis.  Switzer doesn't have any predictions for the first swim meet but he is ready to get things underway.  The PSU swimming and diving team also won the New England Team sportsmanship award last season.  As you can see, that just adds to the list of all their achievements. You have made Plymouth proud.