University of Massachusets Athletics
Collegeswimming.com Feature - Reports From the Front: UMass
December 01, 2011 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Dec. 1, 2011
By COLLEGESWIMMING.COM STAFF WRITER
Embedded in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Along with UMass Amherst, four other colleges inhabit the city of Amherst, MA, located 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. "You've got UMass, Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holeyoke and Hampshire all in the immediate vicinity," says Russ Yarworth, the head Men's Swimming and Diving coach at UMass Amherst. "Really the number one industry around here is higher education and with that you get all the associated activities and everything."
Yarworth has been coaching the men's squad for over 33 years. To him, the local area also provides a great mix between a typical rural and urban location: "Your typical New England college town - it is in a rural environment but you've got that vibrant social atmosphere going on because of all the schools around here. I think we attract kids that might not want to be on quite an urban campus but want the advantage of the urban environment because of all the activities going on."
The close proximity of higher education institutions in Amherst allows for another program to be taken advantage of by the students: the Five College Interchange. A non-profit organization, Five Colleges, Inc. better connects students to the other schools nearby. The program lets students draw books from any of the five libraries, register for any of the combined 6000 undergraduate courses offered and even provides transportation to and from any of the five schools.
The strong connectivity between the schools can amplify a close-community feeling, but this impression is also experienced among the members of UMass Amherst swim team. They are surrounded by a large, strong and supportive network of proud alumni. Yarworth explained that "I have a saying: once you are a UMass swimmer you are always a UMass swimmer." In a recent alumni event that held between trials and finals, around 60 alumni showed up. "It is funny," commented Yarworth, "guys will have been out of school for twenty years and they are still best friends with the guys they swam with."
The strength of the swim program, however, is not just in the support from alumni. Currently comprised of mostly underclassmen, the UMass Amherst men's swim team has risen to the top of the Atlantic 10 championships for 6 straight championship titles and has won 14 out of the last 17 thus far. "My first goal for the kids is to have fun, second goal is to do great in the classroom, and third is to really enjoy the experience of being a swimmer and being in a championship program." Said Yarworth. "I am really impressed with the training culture that we create every year. I use the term `self-perpetuating' a lot but it is true because you know like attracts like and we get these kinds of kids who are really hard workers." Perhaps most notably, Yarworth feels that learning from his athletes is just as important as them learning from him: "I think once you stop learning from your athletes then you are probably not coaching well anymore."
In regards to the recruiting process, coach Yarworth says to "do your research first. Make sure you are a match academically, athletically, and socially. This means researching the school and finding out what kind of grade standards hey have, if they have your major, and researching the athletic program." Yarworth also adds that knowing where you fit on the team is especially important at the Division I level. In addition to making an appointment with the coach before visiting, Yarworth says "I think the final thing you have to do is put together a good athletic and personal resume and sent it to the coach."
While the team hopes to claim another victory at the Atlantic 10 championships in February, they currently prepare for their next meet against Yale on December 3rd.