Swimming

[VUSWIM08-12]

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https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/865581929386487809

They dropped BOTH men's and women's programs.  Too bad.  But in the grand scheme of things at a largely commuter school with 12,700 enrolled, cutting expenses for 38 swimmers is inconsequential (but, of course, devastating to the kids and coaches). Here is the WSU Facilities capsule on their natatorium. http://www.wsuraiders.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=27000&ATCLID=205160542 Impressive place. 6 wide lanes, separate but contiguous dive tank and warmup tank, and spectator seating(!). A shame that such an investment will no longer be used as intended. Not to contradict my previous post, but if Valpo had that facility, I'd bet we would attract some really good swimmers due to the quality of education we offer and our campus culture, both of which appeal to swimmers and divers. [click to enlarge]

In a previous life I coached a public HS team for 4 years. We went from last place in our league to NY State Sectional Champs.  How?  For four years I had basically the same kids. None were AAU  or travel team stars.  We had a basic 6 lane pool. Nothing great. After year one, I asked the kids to come to school at 6 am for 2000 yards of base endurance practice.  They all showed up. Then we practiced in the afternoon doing the fine tuning of strokes and technique as well as getting in another 2000 -2500 yards. I am still in contact with these guys to this day. They loved the discipline and the demands cuz they saw how it made a difference. Good swimmers can be great swimmers providing the commitment and demands are there.  I get the feeling that our VU kids are not being pushed enough. There are few people here who can even grasp what a swimmer does. Imagine looking at a black line at the bottom of a pool for 2 hours while pacing your breathing over that 2 hours every day. Valpo can be competitive despite a crappy pool. Our coach has to just make greater demands. He might lose hangers-on but the teams (both male and female) would get better. The problem I think I see is that there is no pressure to do that.

I can assure you its not the effort put in during the season.( The off season is a different story, I personally didn't do what I should have from April to August and a lot of Valpo swimmers are the same).  Our practices were comparable to the other HL programs. The pool really holds Valpo back in recruiting. I didn't come to Valpo for a visit before I committed, and had I I may have tried to walk on at Purdue or I would have would have went to Ball State. However I did encourage my sister to go to Valpo and she just graduated from 4 years of swimming. Apparently they are hiring the current grad assistant as a full time coach because the the MVC and Summit League meets are on the same weekend which is a nightmare. Anything helps but a new pool or scholarships would really jump up the quality of swimmers Valpo could attract. There are several DIII programs better than Valpo but they all have nicer facilities. I coached at the DIII level for 4 seasons and have yet to see a pool worse than Valpo's.  It's a combination of several things that holds back the swim program.


ALSO WSU  crowdfunded and saved their swim program for at least this coming season. http://www.wsuraiders.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=92405&SPSID=630789

[VULB#62]

I am glad to hear that WSU crowdfunded their swimming program.  It always hurts me to see sports cut due to budget shortfalls in other areas.

You mention scholarships.  There is no way in the near future that a new pool appears as if by magic.  BUT.... a much easier and (in the short-term) cheaper way to instantly upgrade the program, despite the poor facility, is to go NCAA max on swimming scholarships.  It might not turn Valpo into a swimming power, but I'm sure we would kick it up a notch or two and be much more competitive in the MVC than we were even in the HL.