The Other Side of Championship Season: An Appreciation of Coaches
With conference season here and championship season just around the corner, it’s easy to get caught up in the races, the splits, and the excitement. In the middle of all that energy, it is worth pausing to recognize the heroes behind the scenes: the coaches.
While the swimming world celebrates personal bests, record-breaking performances, relay wins, and breakout stars, coaches are quietly orchestrating it all. They arrive before warmups begin and stay long after the final relay touches the wall. They adjust lineups, study heat sheets, track splits, and look for the smallest detail that might help a swimmer gain an edge.
Championship season is not glamorous for coaches. It often means skipped meals, concession-stand dinners, and more caffeine than anyone would recommend. It means bouncing from lane to lane, offering feedback in seconds, calming nerves, celebrating victories, and preparing athletes for whatever comes next. Their voices grow hoarse from cheering. Their notebooks are filled with times and observations. Their minds never quite slow down.
They watch every stroke, every turn, every finish. They think ahead to the next swim, the next relay exchange, the next opportunity. They help swimmers navigate not only the race itself, but the emotions that follow it, whether that is celebration, disappointment, or motivation for the next event. And they do it because they believe in the long-term growth of every athlete, not just the ones standing on the podium.
Behind every standout performance is preparation that began long before championship season. Coaches spend hours designing practices, analyzing race videos, reviewing training data, and adjusting plans when something is not clicking. They notice when a swimmer looks fatigued. They recognize improvements that others might miss. They track progress over months and years, not just minutes and seconds.
For age-group swimmers reading this, take a moment to really see what your coach is doing. Notice the way they watch your race from start to finish. Notice the quick corrections they offer between events. Notice how they celebrate a personal best just as loudly as a meet record. That attention matters. It means you matter.
A simple thank you can go further than you think. Coaches pour energy into their athletes because they care deeply about the sport and the people in it. They invest time that most people never see, and they do it consistently, season after season.
So to every coach on deck during championship season, thank you. Thank you for the early mornings and late nights. Thank you for the patience and the push. Thank you for seeing potential before some swimmers see it in themselves. Thank you for reminding us that swimming is not only about medals and scoreboard times, but about discipline, resilience, and love for the water.
As you step up to the blocks this season, remember that your race is supported by hours of unseen effort. Championship meets may spotlight the swimmers, but the foundation is built by the coaches standing just behind the lanes.
Coaches, we see you. We appreciate you. And during this championship season, your work does not go unnoticed.
Summer Finke is a former Division I swimmer and Olympic Trials qualifier. She is a regular contributor to Swimming World.
