JAINA BERARDI
Special to The Leader
This year launched a new wave for SUNY Fredonia’s women’s swim team as they dove into the 2022-2023 athletic season with a new head coach.
Row 1 from Left to Right: Libby Bray, Mindy Doktor , Megan Orrange and Lily Baer
Row 2 from Left to Right: Isabelle Price, Cleo McDermott, Aaron Burkett and Kaylee Constantino
Row 3 from Left to Right: Tyler Conti, Noah Wisiniewski, Lucas Weiner and Patrick McCrone
Dunkirk native Bill Bradley became head coach of the Fredonia swim team this past fall. Bradley is no stranger to Fredonia’s waters, as he graduated from Fredonia in 2018 and was a former member of the men’s swim and dive team. Now, Bradley is returning to the pool to help the next generation of Fredonia swimmers.
Every college experience is different, but student athletes seem to have experiences that are both relatable and unique to their lives. From waking up early to sticking to a rigorous schedule, the athletes on the women’s team share in many of the same struggles as any other college student.
Team member Megan Orrange, who is a sophomore communications sciences and disorders major, explained how being on a collegiate swim team is overall different from being on a high school level team, as Fredonia swimmers participate in two, two and a half hour practices a day. Orrange started swimming at a young age through summer programs and continued on doing so through grade school.
“Last year was really hard for me coming in here and swimming. In high school, our season was three months long,” Orrange said. “… So coming in here having to do multiple practices a day and having it be a seven month season was very mentally taxing for me at first. But, I had the support of my teammates, which was really amazing. Bill has been really understanding about my mental health and being a student athlete because it isn’t the same as being a student athlete in high school … but this season has been so much better.”
Team member and junior adolescent education major, Anna Burt expressed similar sentiments.
Burt and sophomore member Lilly Baer transferred to SUNY Fredonia from Jamestown Community College this past fall, where they had both competed on the school’s swim team. They first met when they were on the same club team when they were 11-years-old.
When asked about managing her responsibilities as a student athlete, Burt explained that it has been really hard for her to catch up on sleep after practice and to balance her schoolwork, the swim team and a social life at the same time.
Because swimming is a physically draining sport, many swimmers on the team leave nightly practices in a state of exhaustion, so they must find ways to motivate each other to get homework done.
Another member, Kaylee Constantino, who is an early childhood education major, also weighed in on the matter.
“It’s just about creating that balance, learning time management and literally going by the hour for what you have to do for the day,” Constantino said. “You want to have enough rest, sleep and [nutrition], and keep your sanity, too.”
Participating in sports can be used as an outlet for stress relief. Some swimmers like Baer take the time in the pool to think about all their other responsibilities.
“I am a distance swimmer. When you get those distance sets, you are just swimming for a long time,” Baer said. “A lot goes on in your mind during that time and you can almost plan out what homework you are going to do after … but then still focus on swimming at the same time — it is a really good balance for me.”
On the contrary to Baer, other swimmers on the team prefer to leave their concerns at the door of the Natatorium. Cleo McDermott, a teammate, explained how swimming takes her mind off of life’s stressors.
“Swimming is the only place where my mind is completely off,” McDermott said. “I don’t think about anything outside of swimming when I’m swimming. I walk into the pool room and every issue I have on a given day, everything that’s stressing me out, is gone. The only thing I have to worry about is whatever [challenging] set Bill is gonna throw at us.”
While many members have been on different swim teams for years, coming to Fredonia marks McDermott’s first time ever actually being on a swim team. McDermott is from East Rochester, N.Y. and is a freshman biochemistry major. She started swimming when she was 8-years-old. McDermott’s small town high school didn’t have a swim team, so she did ‘exhibition swimming’ and practiced with other schools’ teams to still get her times recorded.
“I had a really weird high school swimming experience. … I was the only person who swam. Instead of competing with another team, I ended up just commuting to swim exhibition for them. So I wasn’t actually on the team, I would just practice with them,” McDermott said. “I didn’t know anybody. I would just show up and swim for an hour and then leave … so I’ve actually never been on a team before … I’ve never scored points before. I went to sectionals alone every year. So, I was really excited to come here and be on a team.”
Overall, Orrange explained how the girls on the team always have each others’ backs.
“It’s nice knowing that your teammates are always there,” Orrange said. “Sometimes, I’ll come in for a morning practice, and we will all talk about how little we sleep. It just goes to show how we are all in the same boat together and hearing from everyone is really helpful to know that you are not alone.”