As the season approaches, excitement is building at Woodside High School for the upcoming swim season. I sat down with Coach Stephanie Couch to get a preview of what we can expect from the team this year. First and foremost, Coach Couch's main goal for the team is to build a strong and unified group of swimmers. With close to 70 swimmers, including both JV and Varsity teams for both boys and girls, it is one of the biggest teams Woodside has had in the past 10 years.
Coach Couch hopes to not only improve each swimmer's individual times, but also foster a love for swimming and create a sense of camaraderie within the team. Leading the way for the returning players are junior Seth Collet and seniors Audrey Chung and Edana Huang. Seth has already committed to a full ride D1 scholarship to UCSB, while Edana and Audrey will be swimming for UCSD and Brown University, respectively.
Along with these experienced swimmers, there are also several returning athletes who have been working hard in the off-season to improve their skills. Kate Stevenson, Maddie Prosper, Reese McCallum, Dana Reed, Kate O'Toole, and Maya Hristova have all joined club teams and are expected to see significant improvements this season.
Newcomers to the team, such as freshmen Sophie Ley and Emerson Trefz for the girls team, and water polo players Peyton Stanford, Will Stevenson, and Audrey Wilson for the boys team, are also expected to make an immediate impact. When it comes to choosing team captains, Coach Couch looks for mature leaders who consistently show dedication and a positive attitude. Some of the students battling for this role include junior Owen Weibell, senior Sophia Cancilla, and returning swimmers Julian Hull and Dana Reed.
To build team chemistry and camaraderie, the team has implemented a new training schedule where all swimmers, including those on club teams, will train together more regularly. This will not only help swimmers get to know each other better, but also create a more unified team atmosphere. Coach Couch emphasizes the importance of having a strong and supportive team behind each athlete to help motivate them to reach their full potential.
In order to motivate her players, Coach Couch has each swimmer complete a goal-setting form. This not only helps them set goals for themselves, but also allows them to track their progress throughout the season.
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