COACH TRISH: ASCA IMPACT COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST

American Swimming Coaches Association 

Impact Coach of the Year Finalist: Trish Schoenlein

This award is given annually to a coach who has made significant contributions on behalf of the sport of swimming and the profession of emphasis on bettering others’ lives through their dedication, hard work and service to others.  Finalists will be selected and the winner will be announced at the Award Celebration Dinner at the 2023 ASCA World Clinic in Dallas on September 7, 2023.

One of many letters of recommendation to support the nomination is below. This one is from Manta Tay alumni Jessey Li—worth reading! 
 

When I was 5 years old, Coach Trish printed the poem Anything is Possible and gave it to me in a hand painted and decorated frame that continues to remain on my bedside table 14 years later. The end of the poem states:

Whether you think you can or can’t, you

certainly will find

You’ll be right either way—so never quit,

and this is why:

You’ll never become a failure, until you

fail to try.

My name is Jessey Li, and I recently completed the first year of my collegiate career at Yale University. I jumped into the pool for my first practice with Coach Trish on the Mason Manta Rays 14 years ago. The cold water is never the appealing and fun part of the sport for a young kid, but as cliché as it sounds, looking back what I remember the most about having Coach Trish as my coach are some of the times where I have had the most fun with my friends at the pool in my entire career thus far. For example, every year Trish organized the Parents Vs. Kids meet. Unfortunately, neither of my parents knew how to swim, so Coach Trish took their place and raced me wearing a frog shower cap and adult floaties—she still beat me. She would always organize the team Halloween party full of games, pumpkin painting, and food. And, she made hand painted socks, hats, and pillows for all her swimmers (50+ kids), all of which I still have today.

As one of Coach Trish’s former swimmers, I can say with the utmost confidence that my swim career would not be where it is if it was not for her. Trish taught me that to find success, you must draw a line of values and follow it. From a very young age, Coach Trish has instilled the values of courage, integrity, and perseverance. She has been an integral part in building the foundation of my athletic career not only with my technique in the water but by simply making it fun as exemplified above. Words cannot explain how much of an impact Coach Trish has had on my life as a swimmer but also as a person. Her passion for the sport and her swimmers is evident in her energy on deck, her endless work in team building, and the continued support for her athletes even many years after she has coached them.

Sincerely,

Jessey Li

Mason Manta Rays 2009-2022