Thursday, June 26, 2008

How we discovered Rebecca Story was right for Lyons Synchro

Even though it has been a year since Rebecca joined Wheaton as our new Head Coach, we can still remember the first time we met her. Two freshmen, confidently sitting at the end of the table facing the candidate, ready to fire away carefully prepared questions. We were familiar with this scenario because we had already met with other potential applicants. She was the last victim…I mean, interviewee, on the list.

But sitting across from us was not just any other candidate; it was Rebecca Story from Keuka College. Our expectations seemed to be high for this particular applicant because she had previously swam and coached for our rival team at Keuka. We had plans for the team, goals for what we wanted to accomplish, and we were seeking a person whose visions were going to compliment our own. Our questions were not what one would call “easy to answer”, we were aware that we would have a small team and a broad range of ability. To our surprise, she answered each question flawlessly. It was as if she could read our minds. Everything we had discussed about what we wanted to do for our team, was mentioned in her answers. She had ideas for water-shows, new training techniques, fundraising, and new recruiting tools. Rebecca also had a solid plan for the season and stressed the importance of academics while still being committed to the team. As the interview progressed, we became more excited with every subsequent response. All we could do was pinch each other under the table as she continued to impress us with her answers. Upon meeting with Rebecca it became quite obvious to us that she was well prepared, had already given a great deal of thought to the job she was applying for, and articulated what she was planning to bring to the team. She was our answer, and she embraced what we wanted Wheaton Synchro to become.

We had an amazing season. We accomplished every goal we set and developed higher standards and expectations for the upcoming season.


-Laura and Jenna S.
Wheaton Synchro Co-Captains