With the season on the horizon, the athletes and coaches of the Oliver Ames Tigers Swim and Dive team have started their preparations. With a mix of fresh faces and returning vets, confidence, and the desire to have fun fill the team’s spirit. Last season, the girls team had a record of 4-2, and placed 4th in the Hockomock Championships. On the boys side, they had a record of 2-4, placing 7th in the Hockomock Championships.

The most important building block for any sports team is the confidence from the coaching staff. Without that, the team is set up for failure right from the start. The Tigers have no lack of this confidence however, because coach Morgan O’Hara had nothing but praise and promise for the team this year.

“I am very excited for the team going into this season. I think the freshmen class looks very strong. The team so far is bonding very well which is very important when trying to build a foundation for the team to grow” said O’Hara.

As well as praise coming from the coach, a great deal has come from the captains. Being in the position of captain comes with a large array of responsibilities that are needed to help bring the team together and shape their identity. These challenges are things that one of the junior captains for the boys Justin Silverman gladly takes on.

“It’s awesome to be the captain. Everyone on this team has a great attitude and I love being in a leadership role where I can have the chance to potentially inspire people to chase their goals and enjoy the sport, the same way the captains before me did for me” explained Silverman.

This is the same for Eden Clewer, who is one of the senior captains for the girls team. The confidence she has in the team, especially the girls side, shines through and is very apparent.

“I am super excited for the season this year and if we continue with the same mindset we had last year, I think it is going to be a really good season. I am especially excited to see what the girls team do this year because I am really confident in our off-season training, and I know all of us want to win the Davenport division after coming second last year by only a few points” beamed Clewer.