Making A Splash

Figure 1
The Arcadia University swimming pool

Walking into the lobby to enter the natatorium, the glow of red signs screaming "EXIT" wait for eager fans to pass through. The thick air crowds the entrance and the faint taste of chlorine reminds every swimmer, former and current, of their second home. Past the friendly face of the lifeguard on duty, the benches for the team line the floor in front of whiteboards showcasing various workouts. An overflowing pool and scarlet bleachers make up the rest of the home for the Arcadia University Knights (Figure 1).

Arcadia University is located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, just twenty minutes outside of Philadelphia. After joining the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) in 2007, the school has watched the swim team consistently improve in their championship ranking, peaking at 3rd place last season. As the whole team, men and women, along with the coaching staff, prepare for this year's championship event in York, PA, the bar has been set higher. Head coach Nate Parsley and his team are hoping for the gold title this 2017-2018 season.

Figure 2
The coaches cheering during a race

The Arcadia University Knight's men and women's swim teams are at the top of their conference rankings. Under the coaching of Nate Parsley and John King (Figure 2), the men are looking at improving their achievement of 3rd place in the MAC conference to the coveted 1st place. Coach Parsley is new on the pool deck, having swam in college at Rowan University, but never coached before. "Coming to Arcadia I had two primary goals," Parsley explained. "One goal was to develop each swimmer and teach them that swimming fast is not a championship event, but rather a lifestyle that we work at every practice and every meet. The other thing was to find a reason to compete for something bigger than yourself." 

This team has met and exceeded their coaches 

goals. Adorned with equipment and matching outfits, the team during their practice creates an air of professionalism and excitement to watch. The matching outfits were an idea "to instill the concept of team. Swimming has a tendency to be regarded as a more individual sport; however, it is my belief that swim and life are team games," Coach Parsley added. "I also wanted to instill pride in this program; they had done great things in years prior, but did not always carry themselves in that regard." As the swimmers' arms fly in sync with teammates across the pool, the different types of strokes this team excels in are on display. For more information about the four strokes, watch this short video: 

Figure 3
Freshman Justin Reed
practicing relay starts

The Knights enjoy time together at every practice by roughhousing, laughing, and occasionally throwing a basketball back and forth. Some members of the team have various tattoos cascading down shoulders and backs in hues ranging from blue, turquoise, yellow, and red, to a classic black. Collectively, their voices echo through the open air in sounds of harmonious camaraderie. Not a face in the crowd isn't smiling or leaning back in gut-splitting laughter. Freshman swimmer Justin Reed claims, "This team is a big family. Everybody cares about each other and wants to see others succeed." Reed swam for Susquehannock High School before committing to Arcadia University as an up-and-coming freshman. Accompanying him as a prominent freshman, Madison Mckay has also made a name for herself in the MAC division, as she is a possible candidate for the MAC Female Rookie of the Year award. As the boys exit the water and uncover the scarlet diving blocks, the water calms and smooths over, waiting for the first dive (Figure 3).

Figure 4
The coaches and the Arcadia Knights cheer on their team
during the season

Taking on eleven other teams, Arcadia swimming has put in a lot of work to ensure a close fight for 1st place. For the men's team, Albright University is the biggest threat, while on the women's side, Messiah is their challenger. Both the men and women beat Albright and Messiah during the regular season, so the outcome at MACs is looking bright. On Valentine's weekend, the 12 schools in the Mid-Atlantic Conference are going to swim their hearts out aiming for the gold. From the sounds radiating from the pool and locker rooms, the Knights (Figure 4) are ready to make a splash at the MAC championship meet. "I think I always knew that both programs were capable of competing for a championship title," Parsley beamed, "I started believing the minute I arrived on campus and will continue to believe as long as we have a race left to swim."