University of Richmond Athletics
Outside the Lanes: Stensby Style
09/14/2011 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Sept. 14 - Virginia is for Swimmers
My name is Travis Stensby. I am the new assistant coach here at the University of Richmond. Over the last 20 years of my life, I have been obsessed with the sport of swimming and have traveled to many places around the country in the name of swimming.
I have swum in four Olympic pools in three countries. I've also worked as a pool designer in southern California, which many call the "swimming Mecca of the United States." My background also includes summer coaching at various camps, including two summers coaching in Ann Arbor, Mich., under a pair of Olympic head coaches.
And now the twists and flip-turns of my swimming life have led me here to Richmond, Va., and to one of the few non-BCS universities known for its swimming history. At this point of what I hope will be a successful stint at Richmond, I am very much an "outsider looking in" - to steal a quote from head coach Matt Barany.
What has impressed me the most in my first month on the job is how "Virginia is for swimmers," and especially the city of Richmond. While I admit it is a bit corny to play on the state motto - "Virginia is for Lovers" - it's more fitting than I realize given that swimming is the love of my life. As I increasingly become more of a Richmonder, the more I feel like I am surrounded by people who share my same passion.
So I guess y'all (trying to show my southern pride) may now be asking the same question at this point - How is Virginia for Swimmers?
I've come to see that Richmond has a rich swimming culture and the way in which the community supports swimming like few other communities around the nation. Here are several of the reasons I have found in my short time here to prove Virginia is indeed for Swimmers:
The community's great swim teams. I think one of the biggest aspects of Richmond's strong swimming culture has to do with its strong club swimming programs. In this relatively small community there are some great programs nationally recognized by USA Swimming. Not to mention other club teams outside of Richmond that have produced some pretty amazing swimmers.
Richmond's Summer League program. Who doesn't love swimming in those hot summer months for their community pool with some crazy fish-related team name? As a native Midwesterner, I can say that I have heard rumors west of the Appalachian Mountains of how great the summer league program is here in Richmond.
Hurricane Irene. Losing power doesn't necessarily help make Virginia a place for swimmers, but massive amounts of rain does! I hope the few remaining people without power will soon get it back.
A passionate group of athletes. Whether it's the Masters Water Spiders swimmers, the University of Richmond varsity team or the group of weekend warriors that participate in the Spider Swim Clinics; all of these athletes are passionate about swimming and enjoy working to get better at the sport they love. I routinely see smiles at our 6 a.m. Masters workouts and 5:30 a.m. varsity workouts.
The Water Spiders Masters group. I must also give a shout out to the Masters group that I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to coach. I am frequently asked to leave the workout on the board at the end of practice so they can come in and make it up if they weren't able to make practice. I don't know if I ever emailed my coach and asked her to do that for me, although looking back I suppose we didn't have email then. I guess I'm showing my age here!
Richmond's great local cuisine. What is swimming without great local hotspots to replace the calories that one burns during a grueling swimming practice? Some of the great spots I have hit up so far include Curbside Café, 3 Monkeys, Kuba Kuba and 8 ½.
An esteemed list of Spider coaches. While I would never consider including myself in this mix at this juncture, let's quickly reflect on the program's previous coaches and where they are now. The esteemed list includes current head coach Matt Barany, Tennessee head coach Matt Kredich, Widener head coach Katy Peterson, Idaho head coach Mark Sowa and new SMU assistant Danielle Tansel, among others.
Our crazy weightlifting coach. Not only does Jay DeMayo work with our nine-time Atlantic 10 champion women's swim program, he also works with the reigning A-10 champion men's basketball team and a local area club team. For more information on Jay, please follow his blog.
The James River. Hopefully I will be swimming here soon. I saw an awesome rope swing that I have got to try. I have also heard that "The James" is a sweet spot for kayaking, but since I am from the Midwest this is a completely foreign concept to me. So, if you know of a local spot that you would like to share with me, you can find my contact information on RichmondSpiders.com.
President Obama Speaking at the Robins Center. I know the press often speaks to Obama's passion for basketball, but what most of the world doesn't know is that he is an avid swimmer... Okay, well maybe not. But it was still an amazing experience for the campus, Richmond community and me. I don't really want to get into politics here, unless we are talking about FINA-approved swim suits or something along those lines, but no matter what party you favor, it is always great to have the opportunity to hear the President speak.
...So, here I am 1,250 miles away from my home state of Nebraska and yet somehow I feel right at "home." My only explanation for this is that I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by people who truly love the sport of swimming and who will do whatever it takes to improve in the pool. Some of you reading this may think this is some kind of shameful plug for Richmond, but I'm honestly not that good at self promotion and could thus never be of a used car salesman.
I am simply a man who loves swimming and am excited to be a part of the Richmond swimming community. In upcoming installments, you'll be getting more inside information on my new life as a Spider assistant swim coach. Whether I truly become an insider, however, is yet to be determined. I have a good feeling I'm well on my way though!
