Instruction: Write a tribute to my high school swim coach.

Response: I’ve known Coach for most of my life, growing up in town and spending time with her family as a kid. But it wasn’t until I went to high school and joined the swim team that Coach's role in my life grew and she became more than a parent or even a coach, but an advocate and role model.

Coach left a lasting, positive impact on so many of us. Pushing us not only to be better swimmers, but to be humble leaders and stronger, more confident adults. 

Even though I would never be a star swimmer or D1 athlete, I never felt discouraged by Coach or anyone on her coaching staff. Quite the opposite: I threw myself into swimming. We all pushed ourselves to be the best we could be, we cheered as loud as we could on the sidelines, and no one passed up an opportunity to support the team or attend a team outing. Because Coach didn’t just build teams of champion swimmers, she built a community. I’m still close to many of my teammates — some remain my closest friends. That’s because swimming is more than a sport at our school, it’s a family. And Coach is and (in my mind) always will be the matriarch.