Girls Swim Team Faces Uncertainty Without Coach or Pool

From left to right: Swimmers Christina Lamar, Fion Hon, Maya McCormock, Alana Neria, Julie Huang, and Kymora Corbett.

Photo Credit: Julie Huang

By NAHOMIE THEOLIN 

The girls swim team is keeping their heads high despite not knowing if they will have a coach or a swim team next season.

 “A coach has the most important role when it comes to a team,” said Alana Neria ’20, a member of the swim team. “[A coach] is our sign of support and strength. Without a coach, we won’t be able to get anywhere.”

The team might be in luck.

“I know there are people who have expressed interest in becoming the coach,” the girls’ former swim coach Ms. Renee Goldfarb said. “I am sure they will have someone great very soon.”

It was rather a difficult choice for Ms.Goldfarb to make when she decided to quit being the coach. She felt that it was time for her to transition into other things on a personal and professional level. 

“I am leaving on a good note,” she said. “While I am sad, I believe it is time for someone else to have a turn.”

Julie Huang ’19, co-captain of the team said, “I absolutely loved having Ms. Goldfarb as my coach for my four years on the team. It’s sad to hear that she’s leaving, but it’s understandable because running a team isn’t easy.” 

 While the coach situation is being taken care of, there’s still the question of where the team will swim. 

“We always struggled with finding a place to practice and hold meets since Midwood does not have its own pool,” said Ms. Goldfarb. “Sharing a pool with other schools limits the time for practice and the dates to hold meets, but we always managed to make it work.” 

The team swam at Erasmus Hall High School last season, but since it doesn’t yet have a coach, it is unsure where they will be swimming for the next season. 

“We have been preparing for next season and we have talked to the athletic director,” said Neria. 

“Like any other team, we really need as much time as possible to practice and get better,” said Huang.

With the girls currently off-season, they have plenty of time to figure out what to do about their situation. 

“We were thinking of doing more fundraising to get more equipment in order to strengthen our team for next year,” said Neria.

Ms. Goldfarb became the girls swimming coach because she wanted to share her love of competitive swimming with students at Midwood. 

“I swam for an outside team for three years and swam for Midwood’s swimming team all four years that I attended the school,” said Ms.Goldfarb.

All these years teaching the girls, Ms.Goldfarb had nothing but fun creating a family bond between the girls, she said. 

“We were able to make playoffs several years in a row,” she said. “Seeing the excitement on the girls’ faces was always wonderful. We also have an end of the season dinner where we share laughs and stories.”

The team has been a great opportunity to create bonds and friendships for Neria, too. 

“I love that I was able to meet so many new friends, whether they were my age or not,” said Neria. “The older swimmers made me feel comfortable and accepted. They helped me so much, and I am so grateful for them.” 

Even without a coach or a place to swim, the girls are not discouraged. Instead, they are more bonded. 

“We stick together as a team,” said Neria. “We don’t quit on each other no matter what because we have built a bond that’s almost as close as family.”