Herndon’s Swim and Dive team focuses on bonding and learning

by Mcallister Pearce-Biney, Student Writer

Herndon's tight group of swimmers and divers are building memories and taking lessons from their season to apply to life. Photo by Herndon Swim and Dive

The Hornets Swim and Dive team has a new coach this season. Neal Travis, a longtime Herndon resident, stepped into the role after his son, a freshman at Herndon High School, encouraged him to apply when the position opened. Travis emphasizes teaching fundamentals first, instilling the value of hard work, and views winning as a bonus rather than the goal.

Travis hopes the lessons students gain from swimming extend beyond the pool. He believes the bonds formed with teammates—and the shared trials and challenges of the season—are central to why students participate in the sport. The memories built through hard practices and competitions, he says, matter most when a team works through them together. Staying connected and feeling like family is what Herndon is all about, and the team embraces that mindset.

“What keeps me going is the team’s chemistry,” said senior Rafe Baez. “It’s more than just wins and losses. I look forward to team dinners and hanging out because bonding is what it’s all about for me.” Baez motivates others, leading by example and reminding teammates that the sport extends beyond what happens in the pool, particularly given swimming’s physical demands.

Senior dive captain Ryan Collie encourages younger swimmers and underclassmen to try new things and challenge themselves every day, noting that a growth mindset carries benefits far beyond swimming or diving. “You learn life lessons through sports,” he said.

Senior diver Jamie Daly said that overcoming fear is one of the sport’s biggest challenges. “With diving, there’s always the fear of hitting the board or smacking the water if a dive goes wrong,” she said. “Getting past that comes from perfecting the dives I know and learning new ones.” She added that diving is as much a mental challenge as it is physical, especially when balancing academics with daily practices.

Herndon’s Swim and Dive program has produced significant talent over the years, with many Hornets going on to compete at the collegiate level. This season, under new leadership, the team’s seniors are rising to the challenge of change by focusing on building strong bonds and a unified team culture.