By Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
Since 1993, when current St. Bonaventure University swimming head coach Sean McNamee took over, the Bonnies have gone to the Atlantic 10 Championships five times and finished in the top three every year but 1996.
Senior Kevin Grant said he has enjoyed swimming for the program and under McNamee.
“Coach Mac obviously was a great coach. He has been here for over two decades now.He has really been invested in not just me, but everybody on the team, growing in the pool, outside the pool, everything from our studies to who we are as people,” Grant said. “I have really enjoyed every second of it.”
But senior Matt Goettler said McNamee’s influence goes beyond the pool or school.
“I would say that I only wish I had trusted Coach McNamee’s training and advice more,” Goettler said. “If I had to sum up the three previous years, my overall experience with the program has taught me countless valuable life lessons and they can be applied to nearly any aspect of my life.”
Grant sees the closeness within the team has led to continued improvement and the maintaining of success.
“Obviously, [McNamee] is really good at being a coach. There is only one of him; it is part of working with a small program,” Grant said. “There is a lot of leadership that comes from the top of the team with bringing newcomers in and teaching them everything that we do here to be successful, whether it is work out intensely, recovery from workouts, and that goes into the classroom too, and that is something that [McNamee] wants to see the team continue every year.”
When getting down to what the team is all about, Goettler said he doesn’t see much difference from when he was a freshman.
“I have found that while superficially things may change and small adjustments have been made, the core and values that our program is built from remains the nearly the same,” Goettler said.
Two issues the team has faced have been having a small facility and not having a large coaching staff like some other programs, but Goettler knows the team cannot let those issues stand in its way, no matter how hard it may be.
“I have found the need to overcome excuses. Overcoming excuses is not a strong suit of mine and I’ll admit that openly,” Goettler said. “Being forced to address that weakness has only shaped our team to become stronger though and teaches us to become more self-reliant and self-thinking. We most certainly could always use better equipment, facilities and more coaches to help out, but that daily challenge to look for the solution rather than the excuse is much more valuable.”
Goettler sees both the upcoming season and the future of the program as chances to build upon the success they have had so far.
“In terms of this year, I just want us to keep our heads down and get our work done to the standard of excellence I know that we can achieve so that fast swimming can be accomplished in February,” Goettler said. “In regards to the years ahead, I have faith that the program will continue to thrive. The program did not grow into success because of any of our doings; the ownership of that is all given to Coach McNamee and his dedication to us and the program’s success.”
The team will begin its season on Oct. 21 against Cleveland State, with diving starting a 3 p.m. and swimming beginning at 5 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
