There is an inconspicuous door at the back of the Aquatic Center that leads to a walkway behind the second-story bleachers. That corridor — complete with barren brown walls, several mats and a black heavy bag — is where Ohio swimmers hone their jabs and uppercuts.
First-year assistant swimming coach Anthony Harris has brought boxing into the training curriculum for Bobcat swimmers. The training improves core strength and endurance, and the punches seem to have translated to better times in the pool.
Harris swam at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 1999 to 2002 and boxed for a few years when he was younger, learning the fundamentals of the sport enough to teach it now as a coach.
“There’s a number of different ways that I can apply (boxing) to swimming, as far as thinking of boxing as you swim, thinking about reaching, thinking about extending your arms as if you were throwing a punch every time you reach out for water,” Harris said.
He said he’s noticed the swimmers’ improvement throughout the year, and it’s showing up on the scoreboard. The Bobcats have won their past five dual meets.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in them as far as their shoulder strength just from doing the boxing as they get better,” Harris said. “They get stronger at boxing, they get more powerful, they hit with more power, and it’s definitely increased our cardio and our shoulder strength.”
Sophomore Morgan Sprosty said Harris’s transition to the team went very smoothly. His calm and friendly demeanor has also helped him fit right in with the team, even though he brings a different approach that would seem to be unrelated to swimming.
“He’s almost like a friend. He’s a coach we respect, but he’s also a friend that we know we can go to if we needed anything,” Sprosty said.
Junior Katey Brooks said boxing correlates very well to swimming, especially forshort-distance events.
The motion and energy required for boxing prepares the team for success in the water.
“I think it’s a great idea because it adds another dimension to their endurance and stamina and their training,” said Som Aftabizadeh, a personal trainer at WellWorks and a senior studying exercise physiology at Ohio University. A former competitive boxer and kick boxer, Aftabizadeh said boxing is a great training tool for swimming.
“In boxing, especially for people new to boxing, they’re using these muscles and it’s supposed to be quick movements and powerful movements,” he said. “And that would correlate really well to anything to do with sprinting or swimming fast.”
Ohio head swimming and diving coach Greg Werner said Harris’ calm demeanor and unique approach add a dimension to the Bobcats’ training regimen.
Werner said the boxing program is innovative for a swimming program.
“They seem to be very excited about it,” Werner said, who has coached the team for 17 years. “I know this generation really likes change, and, obviously, this is something quite different than what they’ve have done in the past and what most programs do.”
Brooks and Sprosty agreed that boxing has helped them in the pool, and Brooks said the swimmers have seen positive results.
As each meet begins, Harris reminds his swimmers about that week’s practice with the hope that the lesson leads to better results.
“I actually do think a lot about boxing when I swim,” Brooks said. “With each stroke I take, I think of punching someone with the idea of power and in a short movement. I told Anthony that before — that I go faster when I think of swimming like boxing.”
mk277809@ohiou.edu
