I've been on a swim team since I was about four or five years old. Throughout my younger swim career, I stayed on the same summer team. I practiced day in and day out, especially in high school. Swimming meant a lot to me, being that it was the only sport that I participated in (besides dance). And I tried to be my very best at the sport. I did pretty OK as a swimmer, both in the summer and on my high school team, but I definitely wouldn't be D1 college material.

Long story short, the spring before my senior year, I was asked to assist coach my summer league team. Immediately, I said yes, but that went hand-in-hand with bouts of anxiety.

I do know a lot about swimming, but would I make a good coach?

Would the kids take me seriously?

Would they become better swimmers as a result of my critiques?

I didn't want to disappoint the team that built me and I didn't have a lot of faith in myself as an assistant coach. However, the more swim sets (practices) that I created and that I was told to do, the better I felt about them. I still get nervous about coaching, afraid that I'm not much help to the kids, but I know that they get better with every stroke. I've seen it with my own eyes. But they only get better when they want to be better, too.

Now, four years later, I'm still the assistant coach of that team with four or five other people, including our head coach. We have a lot of the same kids that have been swimming since they were little, and they're all still improving greatly.

It's really amazing to see so many kids jumping into such a tough sport, whether it's just to stay active or to take it into high school or beyond. I have a lot of peers that I started swimming beside and ended up coaching a little bit make it onto college teams. They definitely go the extra mile and push themselves above and beyond.

And it's always great to see these kids try to stay off of the couch. I don't want the next generation to worry about obesity. Being active a little bit every day really makes all the difference.

Coaching these kids makes me want to do it forever, but I know that probably won't be possible as I graduate and hopefully start my career. However, knowing that I, as well as the other coaches, have helped shaped these kids as swimmers means more than anyone could ever know. I feel like I have helped these kids as much as they'd let me every year.

I'll forever be grateful for the swimmers that have let us coach them and who have reminded me to take moments as they come. You won't place first in every race, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You have to keep swimming to get to that wall–to what you want.

Being a coach and watching these kids grow is one of the greatest honors I've ever had and I wouldn't trade these days for the world.

These kids are so eager to get into the pool–well, most of them–and it really shows in their swimming. Sure, we practically kill them with sprint sets, 10 minute consecutive swims, and beat technique into their brains. But that's the beginning of great swimming.