Tina Tamm and Kayla McCall have been working feverishly to get the girls swim and dive teams ready to make a splash in 2016.
They have 40 girls this year with half of them being in grades seventh or eighth. McCall has seven divers she is coaching.
“Our numbers are usually better on Olympic years, which is great,” said Tamm. “There really isn't a set number that are specifically varsity since it is all determined by how well one does in one’s particular event.”
Tamm is sure there are going to be some “very good swims out of those seventh and eighth grade girls, who very well could swim varsity events.”
Emi Quill is expected to continue to be Tamm and McCall’s top diver and the team’s younger divers will look to her for leadership and experience as they vy for some of the varsity spots on the team.
Macy Erson, Nicole Larrison, Maddie Thorn, Vanessa Gilles, Jalissa Johnson, Emily Lipinski, Melody Swanson, Hailey Eriksson and Avery Tamm are excelling in the pool and Tamm has many other very good swimmers to choose from who will challenge the top girls all season for the prestigious varsity spots at meets.
“I think we will finish right in the middle of our section again this year,” said Tamm. “We have a lot of really good teams in our section, so we really focus on the number of girls we get to compete at the section meets.”
Tamm says she has “a good number in my head as to how many I think we can get to sections” and she thinks all the girls on her list will make it.
“And I really hope there will be a few that surprise me and get there.”
Foley looks to be Becker’s biggest challenge in conference meets. Tamm says they always have a lot of girls and a lot of really good swimmers. But she says that can be good for her squad as good competition sometimes brings out everyone’s best.
At practices during the week, Tamm uses the time to get the girls “at least a little bit back in to shape” before getting into the pool and racing the clock.
“The first week of practice is basically trying to get them back (into shape), “ Tamm says. “We work on the basics while also trying to get the yards back up so they can get the training in and also get the techniques back.”
Tamm says she has some girls who swim for clubs throughout the year, so they do come back better and ready to go than others.
“But we do eventually get them all back into the condition that we need them to be in,” she said.
Tamm has a new assistant coach this year and her name is Joalah Boos. She will be replacing April Greene, who moved and got a fulltime job elsewhere.
She (Boos) is going to focus her time on the dryland side of the workouts as well as helping with the seventh and eighth grade swimmers,” said Tamm.
Coaching swimming is fun for Tamm and her coaches but some things always need to be ironed-out before the season officially gets under way.
“The hardest part is putting together a line-up that will give us the win,” said Tamm. “I have to try and anticipate what the other coach is going to do. If I happen to guess right, it's a great outcome. If I guess wrong, it’s not so good.”
Tamm says the easiest and most enjoyable part of coaching is working with the girls.
“We have a great group of girls that come to hang out with us every day,” she said. “They put in a lot of effort at every practice but still find some fun in it.”
Tamm also has some advice for those up-and-comers looking to try out and make a varsity high school swim or dive team.
“Commitment and dedication,” are what Tamm says a young swimmer can most focus on to be successful.
“Without those two things, you will never do the expected cardio, weight training and long practices. Yes, you need to do all of those things and they are all important, but without the commitment and dedication, you will never do them.”
Tamm and McCall’s biggest goal year-in and year-out is to get as many girls qualified for sections as they possibly can.
“That is where they can compete and qualify for the state meet,” Tamm said. “I do like to win meets but in the grand scheme of things, I know there are meets that we won't win.”
Schedule:
Sept. 1 vs. Big Lake;
Sept. 6 @ Holdingford;
Sept. 8 vs. Little Falls;
Sept.15 @ Ogilvie/Mora;
Sept. 22 @ Milaca;
Sept. 24 @ Milaca;
Sept. 29 vs. Cathedral
Oct. 6 @ Albany;
Oct. 8 True Team at Becker;
Oct. 17 @ Milaca;
Oct. 18 vs. Foley;
Oct. 29 Conference Meet in Becker.
Tamm says she looks at every meet result and sees how many improved times she has for everyone on the team.
“That is my goal, improve times every meet and continue that throughout the season and if we throw some wins in there along the way, great,” she said. “But it's not always about the win. If a girl improves her time in her event, that's a win.”
