Stepping up to the role of captain comes with its pressures and responsibilities. For senior Mimi Aspi, her 10 years of consecutive involvement in swimming is more than enough to prove she belongs in the role.
Since 4th grade, Aspi has been swimming on club teams and through school recreational programs. She now captains the girls varsity swim and dive team and takes on extra responsibilities such as managing their school spirit, encouraging the team before meets and making sure all the swimmers know their events for the next meet.
Aspi values the strong connections she forms with the other swimmers, both in and out of the pool. One of Aspi’s biggest goals as a captain is to make the newer swimmers feel comfortable and welcome. According to junior Daisy Huang, another member of the swim team, Aspi loves to keep an open and positive attitude during practices.
“She makes the atmosphere so much better. Even if we’re having a hard practice or just a bad day, she likes to make the team happier,” Huang said.
Aspi said she tries to promote a positive environment on the team. With a hard sport like swimming, a good team bond can be the driving force of confidence in meets. From cheering on her teammates during meets to spending time in the pool during practice, Aspi said she is eager to form connections with her teammates and bring the team together.
While racing during meets can be stressful, Aspi said she finds comfort in knowing her teammates are there supporting her.
“I remember that I have a whole team behind me supporting me,” Aspi said. “What I like to do is I’ll talk to my teammates who are also behind the blocks and we get really hyped.”
According to head coach Matt Berry, Aspi tries her hardest to show her support by cheering from the sidelines, no matter the difficulty of the practice or meet.
“She is always cheering on everyone,” Berry said. “Especially during relays, she is always behind the blocks.”
One of the crucial responsibilities of a captain is to set an example and serve as a role model that younger and newer athletes can look up to. According to Huang, Aspi has fulfilled this responsibility as a leader of the team.
“We clicked and became friends super quickly. She was super welcoming to the team,” Huang said. “I really looked up to her.”
During practice, Berry said Aspi prioritizes bringing the younger swimmers’ ideas to the foreground.
“She’s great at discussing any issues she might think swimmers have or concerns. She’s really helpful getting a read on if the girls are enjoying a season or not,” Berry said.
Aspi said all the hard work she puts into the team is worth it when she can see the fruits of her labor. She said she strives to be a good example for her peers.
“I want to show the younger athletes that I am a role model for them. I want to make sure that they stay focused and they know they can do stuff,” Aspi said. “If they see me trying really hard, then I hope that they’ll also try hard.”
