Now in their third decade of swimming, BU Masters has grown from what was once a small group of folks with a common interest into one of the largest groups in New England Masters. Their story of growth, friendship and good old fashioned swimming is below. Thanks to coaches Roma Hunter and Diane Brown for the interview.
Can you both speak about the history of your program? How did it start and where are you now? What is the coaching philosophy and focus?
Boston University Masters started up as a small workout group in the early 1980s and quickly grew into one of the largest programs in the Boston area. Many of our participants have been with the team for over a decade! The consistency of our coaching/administration and the relationships swimmers form with each other have led to our success and longevity. Just last year, we moved into our new pool at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center. This move will definitely have a positive impact on our future growth.
We currently have approximately 90 members. BUMS swimmers span all age groups from early 20’s through 60’s. Compared to other area programs, we have relatively high representation from older age groups. We attribute this to our culture of inclusion and philosophy of supporting a broad range of personal goals.
In terms of specific focus, our swimmers fall into three broad categories, each roughly of the same size in terms of number of swimmers. The first group is triathletes and open water swimmers. During the spring and summer months, we offer quality workouts, building endurance and speed. For nearly a decade, BUMS coaches have been triathletes with roots in competitive swimming.
The second group is fitness swimmers. These are swimmers who swim for the fun and health of it. To these swimmers we offer camraderie, inspiration, a variety of well-designed workouts and the motivation of an enthusiastic coaching staff.
The final group consists of competitive swimmers or swimmers from a competitive background (age group, high school or collegiate). For those who compete in meets, we offer meet-specific workouts, including base preparation, threshold work, speed work, and taper.Speaking of competition, how do your BUMS prepare, whether it be open water racing or swim meets?
We really focus on accommodating and training swimmers of all speeds and abilities. Our coaches encourage goal setting from each and every member and are committed to helping reach those goals, no matter what they are.
Our swimmers’ goals are as varied as the swimmers themselves: some may be trying to qualify for the Ironman World Championships; some are training for their first triathlon; some are focusing on swim meets; others may want to learn how to do proper flipturns and become competent in all the strokes; some want to lose weight; and others are just seeking healthier and longer lives.
Each lane, regardless of speed or ability, gets equal attention from our coaches. This attention to all swimmers, especially to slower ones, sets us apart from many other Masters programs.
Many of our swimmers participate in open water races. Last year, BUMS swimmer Dori Miller swam the 10-mile Boston Light Swim, and won! Our swimmers are also active in charitable organizations. Deborah Chassler sits on the board of the Mass Breast Cancer Coalition Swim Against the Tide and has swim this fund-raising event many times. We also have one of the most active triathlon participation rosters of any Masters team, with at least 50 triathlons on the agenda for 2006.
All Masters swim programs, at one time or another, face difficulties in the ever evolving world of swimming. Some teams lose pool time, others simply just can't afford to run a program. What difficulties have you faced and what happened as a result?
For many years, we shared pool space with swimming programs, varsity athletes, swimming lessons, water polo, etc. in a small outdated pool at Boston University. Securing time and space for our workouts was our biggest challenge. With the opening of BU’s new Fitness and Recreation Center, we have been given more lanes and more times for our work-outs. The 16-lane pool is not only spacious and high tech, but it has a great “deck-feel” with excellent ventilation, lighting and skylights. An added bonus is access to a poolside hot tub. This is great for our current participants and any potential new ones! It really gives us room to grow.
You mentioned that your team attracts a lot of swimmers in the higher age demographic. Do you attritbute that to anything special?
We are very pleased with the demographics of our swimmers. We do really focus on swimmers of all abilities, and we think this makes us more inclusive of all ages.
While our participants vary in their abilities and reasons for swimming, one thing is consistent: we work hard. We are ambitious people with a passion for swimming, sports and active lifestyle.
Our whimsical name (BUMS) illustrates our culture – our sense of humor and playful side. We work hard, but don’t take ourselves too seriously. We are the home of some of the most entertaining lane-mates you will ever find!
In line with our culture of openness and inclusiveness and our desire to care for newbie triathletes and swimmers, BU recently created a Pre-Masters Program. Sessions include more technique work, instruction, teaching of drills and explanation of swimming terms and training concepts.
What does the future hold for BUMS?
We plan to continue to build on what we have. Our new facility provides us with ample lane space, so we are definitely interested in recruiting new members. We also want to grow our Pre-Masters program, and promote NEM, USMS and more broadly, the sport of swimming as a fitness choice for life. We plan to leverage some of the more high tech assets of our facility, including a SwimEx flume, for providing detailed stroke analysis, underwater video taping and stroke clinics.
Can you share with our readers the details of your coaches and workout information?
Coaches / Administration
Earlier this year, BUMS’s head coach baton was passed from head coach Abe Rogers to Roma Hunter. A former Division I collegiate swimmer, Roma returned to her passion of swimming after a 13-year career as a venture capitalist and entrepreneur. Roma recently got hooked on triathlons and has since completed courses, from sprint to Ironman.
BUMS assistant coach Jen Strasburger, also assistant coach of the BU Varsity Men’s and Women’s Teams, brings incredible swimming credentials and unique style. Jen was a decorated performer at the University of North Carolina, where she earned honorable mention All-America in each of her four seasons and was also an Academic All-American in 1999 and 2000. Prior to BU, Jen coached at Cal-Berkeley,
Aquatics director Diane Brown administers the program and has also been known to occasionally join the team for a workout. A previous high school competitor and Washington State qualifier, Diane encourages the “been out of it” swimmers and those new to fitness swimming to join.
Facility, Workout Schedule, etc.
We are morning swimmers and offer a broad range of practice options year-round: three one-hour morning workouts on weekdays (6-7 am, 7-8 am, 7-9 am), and two 90-minute morning workouts on Sunday (8-9:30am and 9:30-11am). In the summer, we put our Sunday and Tues/Thurs 8-9 am practices on hold.
Participants select from one of several membership “packages,” ranging from limited use to unrestricted attendance. Masters swimmers can also purchase a membership to the Fitness and Recreation Center, which gives them access to weights, strength-training and cardio equipment, indoor track and ability to use the pool anytime during the extensive recreational swim hours.
BU is centrally located and accessible from downtown Boston, Cambridge, Brookline and neighboring towns. It is a quick and easy commute, especially in the early morning. Parking is ample, readily available, and right in front of the pool.
For more information on joining BU Masters, contact aquatics director Diane Brown at 617-353-0651 or visit http://www.bu.edu/fitrec/programs/aquatics/masters.html.
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