TicketsAug. 4, 2006
Throughout the 2006-07 school year, select UC student-athletes and coaches will share their experiences on and off the field with Bearcats fans through CATSblogs. These student-athletes and coaches will take you in to the life of a Bearcat and share their struggles and triumphs. Fans can email their favorite CATSblogger here! Be sure to include your name and hometown.
Monty Hopkins is entering his 19th season as head coach of the Bearcats men's and women's swimming and diving program. He has coached two NCAA Champions, 16 All-Americans, 18 Academic All-Americans and five Olympians during his tenure at UC.
How I see it today - October 20, 2007:
Tomorrow is the Keating Aquatic Center Dedication, Grand Opening Relays and Alumni Meet. This entry is about the old pool and a rather obscure memory which ends up as a wonderful story about former Bearcat Swimmer Cleon Wingard.
There has been tremendous change at the University of Cincinnati during the last two years. It represents the culmination of change that has been in progress for as long as I can remember.
I first became aware of U.C. swimming when I was about five years old. There was U.C. Bearcat swimmer who lived in my Winton Place neighborhood named Cleon Wingard; I knew he was a swimmer only because people talked about him, otherwise I would not have known.
I remember meeting Cleon in the kitchen of the Zins' house where my family rented the apartment upstairs. Meeting somebody in the Zin's kitchen was not unusual because back then, it seemed that everybody in town found their way to the Zins' kitchen at one time or another.
As a five year old street stickball player I knew nothing about swimming. But what I will never forget from that meeting was how the older boys talked about Cleon being a great swimmer. I call this meeting ironic because it would be years later, when I was a swimmer at U.C. that I would come across Cleon Wingard a second time.
Cleon was a Bearcat for some of the best men's swimming teams in U.C. history. He swam for coach Paul Hartlaub in the (then) new Laurence Hall pool. The "new" pool was built in the early 1960's but to outdated specifications. Despite of this lack of architectural vision, the Bearcats still boasted excellent swimming teams.
Newly constructed but quickly outdated Laurence Hall pool served U.C. and the Bearcats well for over 40 years. The six lane, 25 yard, flat wall, shallow pool was home to some great swimmers, national champion divers and wonderful experiences and memories.
The "new" Laurence Hall pool brought about some of the best swimming teams U.C. has had. Great coaching by Roy Lagaly, Bob Groseth, Terry Carlisle and Frank Busch, Danny Gartez and Charlie Casuto were key contributors to fantastic results in that old (new) pool.
(As an aside, I don't know who was the first to swim a lap in Laurence Hall pool, but I do know who was last. That honor goes to Tori Livingston.)
Located on the first floor of Laurence Hall the pool had a record board that dominated the south wall of the natatorium. It was made of green felt and the Velcro backed plastic letters or numbers were hung on the felt, one at a time, to list records and record-holders. When I arrived at U.C. the board was in a state of disrepair with many names or numbers missing.
Parked on deck was a portable scaffold presumably for changing the overhead lights. This scaffold begged the more daring members of the team to climb it and jump into the pool from the basket, but perhaps those stories can be told at another time. As a new member to the team and eager to be a part of the future I developed another plan that included that scaffolding.
One night shortly after a stinging loss in the 1000 Free to team MVP Bill Keating, Jr. in the Freshman-Varsity meet teammates Bob Kloos, Jay Spencer and I snuck into the pool and used that scaffold to update that old record board. Before we were finished we had become fairly creative while at the same time trying to accurately reproduce the Bearcat team and pool records.
Our plan was to have it look better but I (being freshman and foolish) had an ulterior motive. I wanted "Freshman" Keating, current record holder in the 500, 1000 and 1650, to have one last chance to see his name on the board before I broke his records.
While re-arranging the letters to complete the record board I discovered a name that brought back that day in the Zins' kitchen. Shadowed onto the felt under Billy's team records was the name of the previous record holder in the distance freestyle events; Cleon Wingard.
That old pool has been the home to many great swimmers and even more great people. Some of these former swimmers and divers have been forgotten by all but their own family members and their teammates. Had it not been for the incidental memory of an rather insignificant event I would have known nothing about Cleon Wingard, nor would I have known the (apologies to Paul Harvey) the "rest of the story."
After completing his college career, Cleon became a police officer for the Cincinnati Police and started the horse mounted unit. What delicious irony it would be if he was the officer on horseback when Art Long "petted" that horse on Vine...
While writing this entry I got curious about Cleon and wondered what he was doing now. When I searched his name on the internet I learned something even more interesting that anything I imagined when I started writing. Cleon's mother was one of the greatest swimmers in American swimming history, a two time Olympic medalist and in enshrined in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
February 15, 2000. Lenore Kight Wingard , an American swimmer who won medals in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, died Wednesday (2/9/00) at a hospital in Cincinnati where she lived. She was 88.
Wingard won a silver medal in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles and a bronze at the 1936 Games in Berlin, both in the 400 meter freestyle.
Her silver medal performance in 1932 came just a tenth of a second behind Helene Madison of the United States in a race so close that the judges took 15 minutes before declaring a victor. And both Wingard and Madison, who won with a time of 5:28.5, broke the previous world record.
As much as her medals, Wingard remembered the atmosphere of the 1936 Olympics, which was dominated by the presence of Hitler. Wingard, who swam in the days of wool suits and shirts, recalled that she once couldn't cross a street and go to her dormitory room for more than two hours because Hitler was coming down the route.
"Where we stayed, we were fenced in, always guarded by soldiers," she told the Cincinnati Enquirer in an interview in 1991. "When it was over, I was glad to get home."
Wingard, a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was born in Frostburg, Md. She taught herself to swim when she was 14, growing up in the Pittsburgh area.
She then went on to local, state and national meets. In 1933, she won all the national freestyle swimming championship meets from 100 meters to 1500 meters. By 1936 she held more swimming titles than any other woman.
Wingard won 20 mational freestyle championships, and she held 21 American records and 7 world records in the freestyle.
After retiring from competitive swimming, she managed pools, taught swimming, and, until about five years ago, swam about three miles a week at a local YMCA.
She is survived by her husband, Cleon J. Wingard; a son, Cleon, Jr., of College Hill, Ohio; a daughter, Diane Lynn Peterson, of Denver; four grandchildren; and two great-grand-children.
My sincerest sympathies to the Wingard family and belated recognition to Cleon's mother for her fantastic accomplishments.
How I see it today - September 30, 2006:
Let's celebrate together. We finally have a pool again at U.C. and now we want everyone to come and be a part of the swimming and diving program. I am especially writing to our former athletes who have, much to my regret, not been kept as well informed as they could have been.
Join us at UC on October 21 -
Grand Opening and Dedication of the Keating Aquatics Center plus a relay meet with Bowling Green and Xavier and an Alumni meet. Mark your calendar for 1:00 pm Saturday, October 21. We hope you will join us at the Keating Aquatics Center in the heart of the exciting, new U.C. campus for what will serve as our first home college meet in the new pool.
We want you to take part. Get out your old Speedo and get ready. You still have three weeks to get in shape (whatever that shape might be. Details on the events are being worked on now and should be finalized before the start of the meet - then again, maybe not (but you need to be there to know for yourself).
The Next Big Idea - Fundraising
For years we avoided the "nickel and dime" appeal because we wanted to save that effort for a big push. The pool project seemed to be that opportunity but then it got done without asking our alumni to dig into their pockets. Fortunately most of the needed funds were raised without a campaign; now we need to move onward and upward.
UCATS - This is the organization mainly responsible for raising funds for athletic scholarships. Many swimmers and divers express a reluctance to donate to this general fund because they are concerned that their donation will not end up benefiting those for whom it is intended. Let's face it; we need what UCATS provides more than we could ever fundraise on our own. If it were not for this organization we might be in a situation where scholarships for swimming and diving might not be available. Please consider joining UCATS and becoming a significant contributor to the entire Bearcat athletics program. We can't thrive in the very competitive Big East Conference without your involvement and support.
C-CLUB - For years C-Club seemed to be a quasi secret organization that only existed for a select group of loyal C-Clubbers. This, of course, was not the case but it was the perception. The potential for this organization to impact the future of varsity athletics at U.C. is tremendous. C-Club is the organization of former letter-winners so being a member is something you earned. Take pride in your team and your school and contact the UCATS office to get on the C-Club list. Contact Jason Collins-Baker in the UCATS office for details on getting involved in the C-Club.
Scholarship Endowment - This is what's next for us and it's time to get started so a future generation can have all the benefits we shared as Bearcats. We need your loyalty, support and involvement now more than ever. While specific plans have not been finalized, it is what we will need to do next. Now that we finally have a home, it is time to move ahead to the next phase.
Development - We are now looking forward to program enhancements that will make the Bearcat team experience the best possible and be more competitive in the Big East and the NCAA. We are planning special projects and fundraising to address these wants and needs. The first step is to seek out volunteers who can spearhead special fundraising projects.
Past efforts in raising funds for the "Friends of Swimming" account are going to be used to purchase two new "Power Towers" a computer to run meets in the Keating Aquatics Center and additional CTS touchpads. On behalf of the Bearcats I want to thank all of you who have been donating to the "Friends" account on your own during the past several years. Soon we will have items at the pool that will directly benefit the Bearcat Swimmers and Divers thanks to your generosity.
Communication - We obviously aren't reaching everyone and keeping e-mail lists up to date is a never ending proposition. Please help by contacting us and sending your current e-mail address along with any of your teammates you are in touch with.
Address alumni correspondence to:
What I'm Thinking About Today - September 10, 2006:
Tomorrow marks five years since America suffered that terrible attack that has changed all of our lives forever. During the upcoming week we are sure to experience many reminders of those horrible events and much debate about the proper course of action.
Shortly after the attacks I e-mailed a boyhood friend, Jeff Foley, who is now a Brigadier General in the United States Army to ask what the "average citizen" should do.
His advice was to take the time thank those who help their fellow citizens. Thank the soldiers, the police and the firefighters, but also the Boy Scout leaders, the school teachers and the volunteers.
He added that we need each other more now than ever before so we should look for ways to do a simple kindness, or to serve your community, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.
This was sent out by Caroline Keating as the "Thought of the Day."
"There is a destiny that connects us;
No one goes their way alone;
All that we give to the lives of others;
Comes back into our own."
-- Edwin Markham
There are many opportunities for each of us to give time or money to help another person or cause. I know that there are limits to what each of us can do but I want to pass along two opportunities the reader of this blog might consider supporting:
Many of you know former Bearcat sprinter Carrie Sheil. She contacted me with information about a cause that is very close to her heart called the Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk benefits the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati's local programs and the national education, research and advocacy efforts of the National Down Syndrome Society.
If you want to help Carrie and her family, and support a great cause you can contact Carrie at
sheilce@hotmail.com or go directly to the website at:
Most of my former teammates from the Bob Groseth era will remember the heated rivalry with the SIU Salukies and coach Bob Steele. Coach Steele is still involved in USA swimming and remains one of the most charismatic and interesting men in the sport of swimming.
At the just concluded American Swim Coaches Association Awards banquet Coach Steele addressed the coaches by saying that his daughter Dana, a firefighter in Carbondale, Illinois recently died after an emergency run.
While choking back tears he told us that Dana helped founded a day camp for children who were burn victims and asked that anyone willing to help send a donation to:
Southern Illinois Children's Burn Camp
Cardondale Fire Dept.
Carbondale, IL 62901
Attn. "Dana's Kids"
The inclusion of these two opportunities is not intended to overlook all the other worthy and noble causes and community efforts that exist. Whether it is to support Carrie, Coach Steele, or support someone, or something, that is meaningful to you, I am encouraging you to make a goal to help someone, somewhere today.
The Star Thrower:
The morning after a big storm out on the ocean a father and son were walking down the beach to get some breakfast at a nearby ocean pier restaurant. They were talking about all of the things the storm had washed up onto the beach. They came upon a sea star that had washed up and the boy asked what it was. The father explained to the boy that it was a sea star and that if it remained on the sand it would dry out and die. With that, the boy went over to the helpless creature, picked it up and tossed it back into the ocean.
They walked a little farther and came across another one. Just like before the boy tossed the sea star back in the ocean.
As they walked further they came upon more and more sea stars. Each time the boy would pick up the sea star and toss it back into the ocean. At this point there seemed to be hundreds, if not thousands of sea stars washed up on the beach.
Finally the father, growing impatient at the slow rate of progress and feeling very hungry for breakfast, said; "Son, there are literally thousands of these things washed up on the beach. You can't possibly throw them all back... returning one of them isn't really going to make a big difference."
The boy, stooped to pick up another sea star and, speaking to his dad as he threw it back in the water said; "It's makes a big difference to this one."
It's been said that "we will only get back what we are willing to give away."
How I see it today - August 26, 2007:
Real Goals - Put On A Suit And Go To Work.
Why are people afraid to set serious, realistic goals? Could it be they believe that if they fail to achieve their goals then they will be considered failures at everything? This, of course, is very short term thinking and completely untrue.
Pushing oneself as an athlete, student or professional requires getting comfortable being uncomfortable. A very talented swimmer I once trained with would, when given a hard set, often say, "Why strain myself?" He was not willing to be uncomfortable, so despite having incredible talent he fell far short of his ability in swimming.
Here's why. It takes dedication, perseverance and enthusiasm to accomplish most tasks worth doing. Consistent success also requires a plan - a goal. Sometimes things come easily, but most things that are worthwhile don't. And, no matter what, at some point you will encounter a difficult challenge. Where will the preparation for that moment come from if you aren't willing to set short-term goals and work toward them everyday? When the going gets tough, your success plan will be reduced to wishful thinking.
Bearcat Hall of Fame diving coach Charlie Casuto, once told me that he is tough on his divers during practice because the day will come when they will stand alone on that board attempting the most important dive of their career. When that time comes he wanted them to have handled so much pressure from him that they could easily handle anything else. At the moment of truth, they would be relaxed and be able to do what they had worked so hard to accomplish. This effort to mentally prepare his divers was one of Charlie's goals. It was a very good goal because it was specific, meaningful, attainable, realistic and time-based. And Charlie is very good at accomplishing his goals... so are his divers!
The goal setting and achieving process is one of the things I love about swimming. Yes, swimming is hard work and of course there are the inevitable disappointments, but consistent preparation driven by an inspiring, realistic goal can keep you going when those who don't want to "strain themselves" give in, give up and go away.
It's easy to be average so, by definition, most people are. You know what average is: it's the best of the worst and the worst of the best. So, what does it take to be exceptional? It takes a lot, but it takes that first step; a real goal.
There is a method called "S.M.A.R.T. Goals" that I alluded to earlier and highly recommend. The acronym "SMART" has a number of variations, which can be used to guide goal setting:
S - Specific, significant,
M - Measurable, meaningful, motivational,
A - Agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented,
R - Realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented,
T - Time-based, timely, tangible, track-able, time-limited
You can find details on this approach on the internet. Setting SMART Goals is a great way to start. But you have to act. Why not set a goal now? Start with a goal of learning more about SMART Goals. Then set another goal and keep on going.
Your goal doesn't have to measure up to other peoples expectations, it just has to be worthy of your God given talents and of your best efforts. The goal of a goal, as it were, is to inspire you to achieve your personal best.
Often I talk with people who don't or won't set goals, or at least they say that they don't. They convince themselves that by not setting goals they can avoid being disappointed. This is called effort without purpose, and it's like driving your car without having the slightest idea where you are going. You spend time and waste energy but accomplish little more than spending time and wasting energy.
The motivation behind effort without purpose is an attempt at accidentally accomplish something while avoiding the pain of disappointment. The thinking goes as follows: "If no one expects anything from me, then no one will be disappointed."
The hard truth is that most things don't really work out that way. Deep down everyone wants, even needs, to experience the satisfaction of, in the words of legendary coach John Wooden: "Doing the best they can to become the best they are capable of becoming." This is the competitive spirit and it is the human spirit.
Some people tend to be shy about their real desires. Most likely for a reason similar to the one I stated in the preceding paragraph. The secret is to start small and build momentum.
You also must get excited. Waiting to act until you are excited and enthused is backward. You will just wait, and not get started. Set a real goal and start to work on it now. The energy will flow once you immerse yourself in the process of achieving a goal. It's been said that emotion follows motion, so get going.
Have courage, be bold and act. People, who set real goals, take responsibility for their actions, and (like the Speedo T-shirt slogan read) "Put on a suit and go to work" are amongst the happiest, most productive and successful people you will ever know.
Do you want to be one of them?
Then, set a SMART goal today. Make it personal and keep it real. Make it short-term so you can evaluate your approach and degree of success right away. Realistic short-term goals build momentum for the next effort and so on.
What are you waiting for?
Go do it now.
How I see it today - July 25, 2006:
Speedo Sectionals have started and soon I'll be on my way to Nationals in Irvine. A year out of the Olympic Selection and the favorites are starting to emerge. It's amazing how some of the top swimmers from the past two Olympics are still in the picture.
It wasn't all that long ago that the conventional wisdom was that swimmers, especially female swimmers, peaked in their teens. Obviously conventional wisdom is wrong.
What's the difference? Opportunity. College scholarships since the 1980's, Post-graduate funding opportunities and support from USA Swimming.
What happens to these athletes after the opportunity to swim at the elite level ends? They excel in their professional lives. The evidence suggests that swimmers are among the "student-athlete" academic elite and continue on to be among the most productive and responsible members of society.
Isn't this what is supposed to happen?
Speaking of the importance of opportunity, there is opportunity on the verge of being lost.
Rutgers University has announced that they will terminate a successful, well-coached and productive men's team. The obvious solution to a $52.4 million in spending cuts to eliminate (among other things) men's swimming. I can see the logic... the logic that is obvious by its absence.
That university has a terrific facility, is a member of a top notch conference and offers a combined men's & women's program. As in men and women working together toward a common goal; achieving, succeeding and excelling.
Isn't that the way it is supposed to be, too?
Coach Warner is an excellent coach, leader and mentor. The program is a true asset to the university. But, despite doing everything that is expected, and probably more than is expected, those men, and many future potential Rutgers men are losing an opportunity.
Let's ask the swimming community and all our friends in the world community to put pressure on any university that finds swimming a convenient scapegoat for financial difficulties. There is another way and the fact that swimmers are high achievers, academic success stories and generally loyal alumni should not continue to be taken for granted.
For more information check this out: http://saverutgersswimming.org/
Competitive swimming is a great sport and a wonderful lifestyle. Learn it, live it and love it.