The Ohio swimming and diving team welcomed a new assistant coach whose name is still synonymous with Mid-American Conference lore to the pool deck this season.
Derick Roe, co-record holder of the MAC’s 50-yard freestyle mark, also holds valuable experience away from the water, as he is well versed in a boxing training regimen that the Bobcats participated in with former assistant coach Anthony Harris. Roe participated in boxing workouts while training in college.
Roe, who is primarily working with Ohio’s group of sprinters, said he plans on implementing a boxing program similar to one the Bobcats used last season, but that the workouts will focus on explosion and power punching with fewer combinations than the team focused on last year.
“As far as boxing workouts translating to swimming, it’s kind of across the board,” Roe said of the popularity of similar regimens. “Most places that do kind of do similar workouts with it.”
Roe said his vision of coaching at a young age has allowed him to bring expertise as well as fun and fresh exercises to the Bobcats’ training routines.
“Since I was 13 I’ve known I’ve wanted to coach swimming, so this is something I’ve been honing for years and years and I like to think of myself as a sponge … I feel like I have a very broad base of different training methods to bring to the team.”
Ohio head coach Greg Werner said he has seen an immediate connection and comfort level from Roe, similar to the connection swimmers had with his predecessor. Werner said because Roe was hired in October, a seamless transition between assistant coaches was needed — especially in the workout arena.
“The school year had started, the season had started — we hadn’t had any competitions yet, but we certainly had a lot of workouts,” Werner said. “So we needed someone who was going to hit the ground running (and) someone they felt comfortable with and could trust right way. They certainly found that.”
Roe said he likes to focus on different workouts that will challenge the swimmers and won’t make practice monotonous. Last year the sprint group primarily boxed to work on its in-pool stroke, while this year it has worked with medicine balls and increased the cardio load as well.
“It’s repetitive enough just going over the black line all the time,” Roe said of sticking to in-pool workouts. “We always want to be doing something new and fun. Changing up the training is definitely a good thing.”
Ohio junior ‘Morgan Sprosty said Roe’s decision to continue with the boxing workout fits with the approach she prefers outside of the pool.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Sprosty said. “I think that we’re already in pretty good shape at this point of the season — more so as opposed to previous years — but I think the boxing gives us a whole other element that translates directly to our swimming.”
Ohio senior Katey Brooks said having a swimmer with Roe’s pedigree is great for the team.
“I’m privileged to have such a talented swimmer coach me,” Brooks said. “He is so talented (and) he took a couple years off and made the Olympic trials last year. So without swimming for two years and (to) have that big of an accomplishment is so awesome. You obviously know he loves the sport so much.”
mk277809@ohiou.edu
