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S4 E14 - Swim Team Ft. Coach Sawran and Athletes · Inside the OSD

• 0:05
  SPEAKER 1: Today we are at the Oregon Community Pool to hear from our boys swim team coach and a few swimmers about their experiences on the swim team and what it's like
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  to be the first ever OHS conference champions.
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  SPEAKER 2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
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  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, doctor Leslie Bergstrom.
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  SPEAKER 1: So we'll get started with some introductions.
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  Um, coach, could you introduce yourself and a little bit about your background with coaching?
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  SPEAKER 3: Yeah. Um, my name is Justin Sawran. I've been coaching the Oregon boys swim team since 2018,
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  and, uh, yeah, I started started with that and then I started coaching the girls team as well in 2021.
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  Um, and in between those, I also helped out with OCSC here at the pool a little bit from 2019 to 2021.
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  Um, but yeah, that's the extent of it, really.
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  SPEAKER 1: All right. Thank you. The swim team recently became conference champions for the first time in the history of the program,
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  and sent eight events to state. What does this mean to you and to the team?
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  SPEAKER 3: Yeah, it's--winning the conference title, I think was huge.
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  That was a goal that we set maybe even last year at the end of the season, but definitely at the beginning of the season.
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  That was something we knew we wanted to go for, and we were in a tight race for the conference title last year.
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  It was, like, within points, like single digit points of three different teams last year.
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  Um, and just knowing that we were bringing back a bunch of point scorers that were,
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  you know, inevitably going to be faster, um, we thought we had a really good shot at it.
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  And then-- And you did. Yeah. And, um, the way it works out.
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  So for the conference title, you have to do well in both the conference championship meet itself and the dual meets all season,
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  so there's things we had to check off along the way.
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  You know, close meets that we thought we were going to have throughout the season. And so to have all of that kind of come together, um,
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  really meant a lot. And we won it by quite a big margin this year.
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  So that was like, like icing on the cake, I guess, just to have it be so, so like definitive that we were conference
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  champs.
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  SPEAKER 1: So very nice.
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  SPEAKER 3: Um, and then yeah, bringing eight people to state which is the most in school history.
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  Um, that's really exciting too, just because it talks about the, the talent of the team,
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  you know, you can win a conference title with--if the rest of the conference isn't very strong.
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  Um, but to have that caliber that can stack up against the best in the state, too,
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  um, that that shows that it's a really talented team overall and deep with eight events.
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  Wow.
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  SPEAKER 1: So tell us about the journey of the team this season.
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  Were there specific moments or key attributes or qualities of this group that made you believe that this success was possible?
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  SPEAKER 3: Um, I think the--one of the like key moments that highlighted that this was a real possibility was actually our meet against Watertown.
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  Um, and I say that only because we were missing so many guys, we had a rough season in terms of illnesses where we were knocked out quite a
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  bit. Um, and we brought a really small team to Watertown meet.
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  And it shouldn't have been as close of a meet, but it ended up being our closest dual meet of the season,
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  I think. And, um, that was with using a lot of guys being pulled up from JV and swimming events that they weren't used to.
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  So that speaks to that depth of the team that I was mentioning.
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  Um, just being able to fill in when, um, even some of the top point scorers were missing from the meet and still do.
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  Well, um, meant a lot and was a good sign that good things were coming.
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  SPEAKER 1: Okay, so it's really clear from what people observe and from the results that this team is a really strong culture.
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  So what are some specific intentional actions or strategies you use to foster this positive,
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  supportive, inclusive culture throughout the season?
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  SPEAKER 3: Um, that's a good question. I think, um, my first year of coaching was a struggle to actually kind of get some of this
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  going. Um, you know, it wasn't my program beforehand, so I was inheriting what had been built up before,
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  and I came in with my own ideas that I didn't have really any contact with the previous coaching staff.
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  Um, but yeah, I really tried to just make it about the team aspect.
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  And that's what I love about high school swimming, is that it's--it's an individual sport in the sense that you compete on your
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  own, you're in your own lane. But the way dual meets are won and the way big meets like the conference meet are won is when everybody comes together and
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  performs their best and every swim matters.
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  You know, each--Whether you're scoring first place points or 16th place points, it adds up in the end.
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  Oh, wow. Yeah. So I try to enforce that and then make sure that everyone's invested in their teammates' success.
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  They're cheering at the end of the lanes. Um, but again I point back to that first season because it didn't start,
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  you know--It started with that group. And by the end of that, those freshmen of that first class becoming seniors,
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  I felt like the culture had really set in.
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  And so now it's perpetuated by the guys on the team.
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  So I'm looking at I'm looking at Noah because like, as a captain this year, I feel like he did a good job and as captains before
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  have done of promoting that and continuing that tradition of it's not just about your swims or how well you're doing or how fast the top
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  guys are going. Um, it's being invested in the whole team.
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  SPEAKER 1: So I have a feeling I know what you're going to say, but what are you most proud of about this team?
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  SPEAKER 3: Yeah, it's that culture. Um, it's--it's noticeable.
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  And I think other teams see it. Like I've had coaches and parents say stuff at at meets,
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  like there's been meets where our guys are cheering on the other teams just because nobody else is,
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  you know. Um, and so that's fun to see. Um, it's just a good group of kids really.
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  And yeah, that's what I'm most proud of.
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  Yeah. Winning conference is super exciting.
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  Super proud. Um, how they do at state. Very proud of all that.
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  But I don't remember-- like I do remember their times because I--that's what I pay attention to.
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  But right when I think back on it, I remember those moments of how people are feeling the smiles,
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  like just being invested in each other. Um, that's what stands out to me.
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  SPEAKER 1: So gosh, that is that's really heartwarming.
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  Thank you for sharing that. Um, okay, now we're going to turn to a few of our swimmers.
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  So could you please introduce yourselves to our listeners?
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  Your name, your year in school, the number of years on the team.
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  We'll start here and go like this.
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  SPEAKER 4: Okay, good. Um, my name is Brandon Tereba.
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  I am a sophomore at Oregon High School, and I've been swimming on this team for two years.
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  SPEAKER 5: Thank you.
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  SPEAKER 4: My name is Noah Mora. I'm a senior on the team.
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  This is my fourth year on the team, and I swam club a few years before I started high school swim.
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  SPEAKER 5: Okay.
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  SPEAKER 4: Well, my
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  SPEAKER 6: name is Connor Huebsch. Um, I'm a sophomore, and I've been swimming for two years.
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  SPEAKER 5: Thank you.
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  SPEAKER 1: So can you describe the--describe the culture of the team?
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  And then how important is this culture to the team's performance?
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  And I'd like any or all of you to contribute, but who would like to start?
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  Go ahead.
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  SPEAKER 4: There is a strong culture of everyone's welcome.
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  Everyone's included in everything. We try and make sure that everyone gets rides to the pool,
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  gets rides after team dinner, to team dinner, wherever we choose to go.
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  If we go out as a group places, we'll make sure everyone's included in that.
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  We try and make sure people's opinions are heard.
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  I like to reach out to people I need opinions on stuff like to make sure that the whole group chat can give their input on everything.
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  SPEAKER 1: That's really impressive.
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  SPEAKER 4: I remember, um, the first time when I joined the swim team and I was really nervous because I thought that this was going to be like a super uptight team
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  and that like, I, you know, like it would be kind of competitive.
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  And I remember the first day I got here and how welcomed that was.
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  It was just amazing. And I feel like it's really hard to feel lost on this team because of how well the team culture is,
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  which is awesome.
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  SPEAKER 5: Wow. How about you, Connor?
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  SPEAKER 6: I'd say it's very welcoming coming in, uh, without any swimming experience.
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  Um, so great group of guys. Um.
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  SPEAKER 1: I just appreciate so much that someone can have no past experience and can join a team and have a great time.
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  I just love that so much. So I'm I'm amazed that you took that leap and that everybody was so welcoming.
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  It's really cool. What's the biggest challenge this year and how did the team work together to overcome it?
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  SPEAKER 4: I would say the biggest challenge was all the illness that we had because.
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  SPEAKER 5: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER 4: We would lose a bunch of guys and then they'd come back, but then we'd lose other guys.
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  So we had a good couple of weeks where we were just down people every day, more and more every day.
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  Half the time. So it was really hard to deal with that.
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  It was hard to stay competitive, but we kept going and pushed through and we were still competitive during that time, even if we were without some of our top
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  guys, top scorers.
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  SPEAKER 1: Well, that goes to what coach said about depth on the team, right?
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  And people's willingness to do things that they're not normally doing.
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  Did anybody have to do a completely different event because of that?
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  Can you recall?
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  SPEAKER 7: I mean, normally coach likes to like mix up relays or events, no matter what.
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  He likes to, like, just experiment a little bit.
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  SPEAKER 1: Sure.
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  SPEAKER 7: So occasionally you would be put into other races, but on the bigger meets, he likes to kind of keep you in the same thing.
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  But like back to what you said, sometimes you'll be put into maybe your B event or something that you're not quite as good at,
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  but you're still good at. So you would normally still be swimming what you would be swimming anyways.
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  SPEAKER 1: All right. Thank you. That's helpful. Um, as swim team members, what is it like to be part of the first ever team to bring
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  home a conference championship?
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  SPEAKER 4: I think it's been a long time coming. I think this team has had the potential to do that for years now,
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  and I think we've been building up to this moment and the culture's been building and we've just had the ability to do it,
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  and we finally got it done.
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  SPEAKER 1: So what was that meet like? The conference meet?
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  Who wants to share some experiences from that?
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  SPEAKER 6: Oh, yeah. There there was a lot of things going through my body.
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  Um, I really just wanted to go best time more than anything.
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  But, um, I was proud of myself how I swam, and I was happy with my taper.
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  SPEAKER 1: That's great.
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  SPEAKER 7: Uh, I also was very nervous coming up to the conference meet, because we have a couple really,
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  really fast guys in our conference, and I was super nervous going up there because I thought,
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  like, oh, I didn't have a chance. And the moment I get up on the 200 freestyle and start swimming,
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  I'm like, "oh my goodness, this is amazing." And I keep swimming.
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  And I beat the other two guys who I was nervous about and that just like set the tone for me personally for that whole.
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  SPEAKER 1: Oh, I bet that must have felt amazing.
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  SPEAKER 7: It felt
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  SPEAKER 1: amazing. Yeah. That's great.
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  SPEAKER 3: There's definitely--Sorry to chime in, but there was definitely a lot of adrenaline at that conference meet.
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  That was--it was a very fun meet because, you know, that was the goal we set at the beginning of the year.
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  So yeah, everyone wanted it really badly.
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  SPEAKER 1: So what would any any of you say to students who might be considering going out for swimming?
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  Any tips or words of advice?
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  SPEAKER 4: I would say you absolutely should. I mean, we have some guys who join the team their freshman year and they won conference
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  in a relay, like having never swam before.
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  They should join. You have a lot of potential.
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  You just have to go out there and do it and see what you can do.
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  SPEAKER 1: I love that.
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  SPEAKER 6: Yeah. I just say go for it and stick with it.
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  Um, it's going to be hard at the start of it.
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  Um, but sticking with it is pretty important.
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  And you'll go far.
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  SPEAKER 1: Well, consistency and perseverance, right?
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  Yeah. That's that's it for so many things.
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  So finally, Noah, as a senior, do you have any parting thoughts to your teammates or for younger OHS students?
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  SPEAKER 4: I would say to keep trying new things. Joining the swim team is definitely one of the best decisions I've made.
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  It was definitely worth it. It's a really fun experience.
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  It's a really good experience. It helps build you as a person and it's just a great experience,
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  I'd say.
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  SPEAKER 1: Thank you so much for that.
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  SPEAKER 8: Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside the OSD and submit topic ideas on our website at
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  OregonSD.org/Podcast. You can find this podcast anywhere you can find podcasts.
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  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.