By Foss Swim School
When Olympic medal-winner, world-record-holder and Foss Swim School alumna Regan Smith gets in the pool at the Olympic Games in Paris, few will watch with as much interest or a deeper swimming history with the Lakeville, MN native than her former high school swim coach Dan Schneider. He’s one of many coaches and mentors who helped Regan develop into the swimmer she is today and was even invited by Regan and her family to attend her Olympic trial meets in Indianapolis as their guest in June.
Dan is starting his 48th year as a swim coach this year – “I take it one year at a time” – and feels lucky to have been able to influence and shape the character of hundreds of young people in that time. “Knowing how to swim is important itself, but you also learn a lot about dedication, a lot about perseverance,” he said. “We tell kids, you can play football or basketball, but you can’t play swimming. It’s about performance and conditioning. It’s hard work – but hard work pays off.”
He appreciates being able to connect with students and athletes after their school career is over. “They come back and say, I learned a lot about what it takes in life,” he recalls. “It transfers over to jobs and what they do later in life. We want them to be champions in and out of the pool.”
Recognizing Regan as a Generational Talent
Both Regan and her sister Benna were on Dan’s team – in fact, Brenna was captain when Regan joined. So, his trip to see Regan swim in Indianapolis was a double reunion. “I’ve never been more excited to be at a meet. Sitting with the family and with Brenna, it was such a special moment in time,” he said.
Dan recalls that Regan was a standout swimmer already when she joined his team. She was already well-known in Lakeville swimming circles for her performance with swim clubs, and Dan knew she had the drive and talent to be something special.
During their time when he was Regan’s coach, they continued to refine her skills and form, as he did with all of his swimmers. A big part of the focus in his approach is on the underwater phase of swimming: “Why swim it when you can glide it? We worked on streamlining … underwater dolphin kicks … all the little things that become big things.” He also coached the other aspects of the sport: mental preparation, setting goals, imagery, plus nutrition, conditioning and recovery.
After leaving Lakeville, Dan has followed Regan’s career with interest, and believes she has the character of a champion as well as the talent. In Indianapolis, he was in an elevator and told a fellow passenger he was there to see Regan. The passenger immediately told a story about his four-year-old encountering Regan and getting an autograph, and how Regan took time to connect with her. “It speaks highly of the kind of person she is,” Dan said. “She is incredible about complementing teammates. She helped raise funds for the school pool. She is so caring about other people.”
What Dan is Watching for in Paris
Even from the brief time he saw her in Indianapolis, Dan got a taste of how busy and demanding Regan’s life is as the Paris Olympics approach. “She had a hard time even cooling down. She had obligations for media, and automatically had to be tested after setting a world record.” (Regan’s 100-meter backstroke in Indianapolis was a record-setting 57.13 seconds.)
Regan’s schedule between the end of the trials in late June and the start of the Olympics in late July includes stops in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, and Croatia before heading to Paris. Her time will be tightly regimented, but Dan has some experience seeing her prepare and looks forward to seeing the results from all that preparation.
“In the 100 back she broke the record, so that’s going to be a fun race with that swimmer from Australia,” he said, referring to Kaylee McKeown. “And her 200 back and fly will be better at Olympics than at trials. I’m looking forward to the medley relay. Think about the people they have. The top three legs have all been world record holders. It’s going to be an awesome relay.
“It should be a fun meet. I would love to be there, but we’ll be celebrating here in the early morning,” Dan said. (With the time difference, seeing the events live means watching in the wee hours.) “To see all the great swimmers is one thing. But to have a personal connection with someone you touched briefly in their journey, it’s different.”
