After over a decade under the leadership of Coach Stephanie Moss, the Hillsboro summer rec swim team has new leadership who are building on all the work Moss started.
Nate Duell, the new head coach has been coaching high school and college swim teams for almost 30 years and comes with much experience.
“This is my 28th year coaching swimming. I began in Illinois in 1994, moved to Indiana coaching club and high school swimming until 2013. In 2013, I began the new collegiate team at Tabor College where I coached until the program was dropped in 2021,” said Duell.
Joining Duell is his daughter Ainsley Duell who has swam both rec swim and for the Marion Co-op high school team. They also have Assistant Coach Dillon Boldt who swam for the team while growing up and then began assistant coaching last year. Violent Klein also helps out with the team.
Nate Duell was more than ready to get back to coaching swimming after having a break for two years.
“When I heard of the opening I volunteered to do the job. My kids, Duncan and Ainsley have been a part of the rec team since we moved here and they had a wonderful experience. Watching my daughter, MacKenzie Magee, coach the Marion co-op high school team so well, made me realize how much I have missed working with young people and was happy to lend a hand,” said Nate.
The transition has gone smoothly although Nate has had to shift his mindset a bit.
He said, “I have to remind myself that it is rec swimming and not club or college swimming. If you ask the swimmers, the first practice this year was a bit much as I was a little ambitious with my workout. The problem is, these swimmers keep stepping up to my challenges and swimming faster, so I continue to get excited about what they can do.”
Boldt has adjusted quickly to working under a new coach and finds the challenge the same as he did last year.
“The biggest challenge is always trying to find what each individual is best at and put them in the best position to succeed as an individual and for our team to succeed as well. This team has so many kids of different ages, swimming experience, fitness levels, stroke abilities and passion for the sport that it can be challenging to figure out where everyone belongs,” said Boldt.
With 66 kids on the team, the coaches also face another obstacle.
Ainsely said, “I think the biggest challenge is definitely keeping the kids attention. There are so many kids who all just want to swim so rounding them all up and getting their attention is often a challenge.”
They seem to be doing well in spite of the challenges and all three are enjoying their jobs.
“I love the sport of swimming. It is in my blood and a part of some of the best memories in my life. Working with young people in this sport is incredibly satisfying and watching them amaze themselves with what they can do is a special experience,” said Nate.
Ainsley agrees and adds, “I think my favorite part is when the kids finally get it down. We spend a lot of time talking about how to swim properly and so when swimmers finally get it and they get excited it makes me really excited too.”
Nate has high hopes for the season and for the league meet which will be held in Hillsboro on July 8.
“We are always going to strive to win. Hillsboro has an excellent tradition in the league and we want to continue that. However, improvement is the name of the game in this sport and as long as everyone has fun, I will be happy,” said Nate.
Ainsley is impressed with how well the team is doing so far.
She said, “The kids are doing really well. This year has definitely been new to them. We’re swimming often around 1,000 meters a day at practice and it’s really showing in their swimming. They are doing well and beating lots of the other teams. League will be a challenge as we’re facing good teams as well, but I think we’re set to do a lot of good things there.”
Boldt added, “The team is looking excellent this year. We still have a couple of weeks to see how all the pieces will fall together, but as long as the kids keep working hard and trusting their training we should have a great shot at another league championship.”
The coaches seem to enjoy working with each other as much as they do the swimmers.
Nate said, “I am blessed with a great coaching staff in Dillon Boldt, Ainsley Duell, and Violet Klein as well as an incredibly supportive group of parents.”
Boldt feels blessed to be able to coach with Nate and Ainsley.
He said, “They bring so much knowledge and experience of swimming to this team, and it is amazing to see the new things that these kids are learning from them.”
The coaches work hard to teach the kids and develop a winning team. But they also focus on all aspects of the experience and hope the kids enjoy participating and making memories.
“My favorite part of coaching is just watching the kids smile and enjoy being a swimmer. Whether they have a huge smile after beating a rival, setting a new PR or even drawing a silly picture on someone’s back before a race, seeing that joy just reminds me of my joys from the sport and how they will remember these memories their entire lives,” said Boldt.
The team competes next on Saturday in Peabody.
