Avery Buchanan '20 Recruiting Profile

I first started swimming after a childhood friend asked if I would join the local team with her that summer. Little did I know the impact the sport would eventually have on my life.  At about the same time I started swimming I was diagnosed with ADD. I have learned more about my brain everyday since. One of the things I know for sure about myself is the positive impact swimming has on my organization and mental health. The structured schedule and the early mornings are perfect for an ADD brain and have helped me to thrive in and out of the water.   

Swimming has taught me how to be a team player. It's funny because no one ever thinks of swimming as a team sport.  It isn't like soccer or football, we don't get to compete together, so the end result depends on the individual. I personally feel that this makes the support and respect of my teammates even more imperative as without these things the environment is ineffective. 

I grew up with a TAAF (Texas Amateur Athletic Federation) coach who always stressed the importance of 'honoring your teammates with your effort'. As a 9 year old this had no meaning to me, but 7 years and 2 teams later I finally understand. In 2014 I moved from that TAAF team to my vey first USA team. I was terrified. Not only was the team lacking in coach support but also teammate support and encouragement. I had gone from being a big fish in a small pond to being the smallest fish in an ocean. For about 6 months I was okay, my times got a little faster and I had made some friends on the team, but the toxicity of the team and its environment started to effect me. I hit the biggest plateau of my life, I had no goals, no motivation, and no camaraderie. After a year of swimming on that team I'd had enough, I had gone from loving swimming to dreading every practice, so I left. I found a coach that helped me set goals and a team that would both challenge and respect me, now I'm doing better than ever.  Since then I have promised myself that I will not only honor my teammates with my effort, but inspire them as well.