It is a new season for the girls and boys swim team at Freedom, and with a larger team, a new assistant coach was needed.
Coach Olewski, a math teacher, headed both the girls’ and boys’ teams last year, and it was a very successful season- the girls team winning almost every dual meet and sending multiple swimmers to states that medaled, and with a much-improved boys’ team.
With that being said, this year’s roster has about 15 more athletes and Coach Olewski wanted some help from someone that had more swimming background. Coach Catherine Wright is a history and psychology teacher and previously swam in high school, meaning she understands the setup of a high school meet, and what kind of training the athletes need- whether they swim on a club or just in high school.
“Coach Olewski approached me at the beginning of last year and asked me if I was interested in helping coach with him for the swim team,” Wright said.
Wright was a varsity high school swimmer for four years and predominantly a distance swimmer, swimming the 200 and 500 freestyle, until her senior year where she discovered that she was good at butterfly.
Her versatility in the sport allows her to be better equipped to help do line-ups for the team and understand what people can and cannot swim.
“It always helps to have another set of eyes and have new perspectives, and with her swim background and my coaching background, we compliment each other very well,” Olewski said. He is extremely optimistic about this season and what the team will be able to accomplish with another coach and more swimmers.
“Coach Wright is great with our new swimmers,” Olewski said. “She has a keen eye to tell our veteran swimmers how to improve.”