Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Blog - Tim Perley
11/14/2012 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 14, 2012
Coming to a school like Bucknell University can be a wake-up call for many freshmen, and I certainly was no exception. Many of us have had the privilege of attending a school like Bucknell because we were the best on our high school teams or the smartest person in the classroom. When freshman year begins you truly believe that your accomplishments will carry over, that it will be as simple as high school, and that the obstacles and challenges you face along the way will be limited. As a freshman it is easy to make the mistake that your times will somehow get faster because they always have, or you'll rise to the top of the class somehow because you always have. I would like to be the first to admit that this was part of my mindset and I truly want to teach each freshman to be aware of such a mindset. Bucknell has taught me that there will always be someone willing to work harder then you, willing to study longer then you, or more willing to go that extra yard underwater. I have quickly learned that in order to be successful in any aspect of life you cannot just kind of want to succeed and you cannot expect that just going through the motions will be good enough. No, in order to achieve your ultimate goals it has to be a part of you and it has to be something that you think about every single day.
The differences between last year's men's swim team and this year's team are countless. Last spring we graduated a very large and very deep class that was instrumental to our success last season. Each one of them had so much experience that we almost knew the results of dual meets before they even began. We could just assume this guy would win his marquee events and so on, but that is not the case this year. We have a younger, more inexperienced team and I love that obstacle. This sense of uncertainty has brought hunger and determination every day to the pool deck. We are all constantly pushing each other to go that extra yard underwater or give just that much more effort in practice. The aspect I love most about the men's team this year is its sense of unity. Swimming can easily become an individualized sport and when that happens at the college level negatives come into the picture. Those negative elements could not be farther away from this team and it is because of the leadership we currently have on our roster and our overall attention to little things that have proven to have a significant impact. I would like to personally thank our four captains, Billy Krause, Matt Stevens, Christian Treat, and Trevor Reitz, for being such advocates of attention to details and the importance of unity. For the first time in many years we all wear jacket and ties for our bus rides to away meets. We all wear the same uniform in the weight room and we all huddle together after each practice to discuss what positives occurred over the last two hours. Now this might sound miniscule but their impacts have been large.
This new sense of complete unity has truly allowed us to grow each day as a team and I believe that correlates to our consistent progress in the pool. From our first meet against UMBC back on September 29th to our competition last Saturday against Lafayette we have consistently and collectively gotten faster as a team. There is a quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that says, "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team." This quote sums up the difference to me between not only the differences from our team last year to this year, but my personal change in mindset as a freshman to a sophomore. As I look ahead to our upcoming Bucknell Invitational I have high hopes and aspirations for our team. Every relay spot is wide open and that is a testament our depth. All the hard work we have been putting in since late August will without a doubt show dividends this weekend. Unlike last year when we had key members carry us in the point standings I believe everyone can contribute this weekend. I believe the opportunity for success is at our fingertips and it is just waiting to be grabbed. Over this last year I have learned that my personal demeanor, as well as any other individual's demeanor, can impact their teammates as well as themselves. This weekend no member of our team will only think about themselves because that is not our identity. Our success rides on the actions of everyone and I am truly excited to see each and everyone one of us embrace the opportunity this weekend instead of shying away from it. It's time to get up and race!
