As the Erie High School swim and dive team enters into the final stretch of their season, a wave of bittersweet emotions surges through the pool. With senior leaders, swimmers, and divers preparing to swim their last lap, the team has the time to reflect on their growth, accomplishments, and the challenges that lie ahead for the swimmers and divers who will carry on the seniors legacy.
As the Erie swim and dive team prepares to say goodbye to its seniors, the season’s final weeks become a time of reflection and celebration. The impact of the departing leaders is evident not only in the team’s camaraderie but also in the confidence and growth of younger swimmers who have learned from their example.
Sophia Knieps, a senior swimmer and co-captain, has been an integral part of the Erie swim team. As co-captain, her responsibilities go beyond just swimming. “Most of the time as co-captain, I’m just encouraging people to do better, a lot of it just making a lot of friends,” Knieps explained, “and then I just listen to my coach and whatever she asks me to do I pretty much do and a lot of the time that’s getting people into the pool for warm-ups and stuff like that.”
The experience of leadership, according to Knieps, taught her valuable lessons in time management and teamwork. “I’ve learned a lot about time management,” Knieps reflected. “Swim has always been a big commitment, but then having to do a lot more planning outside of that and communicating with my other captains and my coach has been a lot like outside of the pool too.”
Kenzie Littmann, a fellow senior and captain, has been swimming on the Erie team for all four years of high school after starting swimming at just six years old. As captain, her role is to make sure that the team stays bonded, “just kind of leading the team, making sure things are organized and kids are like hyped up and understand what’s going on and being prepared.” Littmann added.
For Littmann, being a captain not only allowed her to build relationships with teammates but also offered the opportunity to witness her teammates grow. “I’m sad it’s coming to an end,” Littmann admitted. “I’ve loved getting to meet so many new people. I feel like being a captain kind of gave me the opportunity to get to know people that I didn’t really know before.”
Both Knieps and Littmann expressed pride in the growth of the team this season. “We’ve got a lot of good camaraderie,” Knieps said, proud of the way the team interacted and supported each other. “I’m very proud of the fact that we’re not like a very toxic team, so there’s not a lot of trash talking. There’s a lot of good camaraderie just in general. Socially, I think the swim team’s very, very good at teamwork.”
Littmann shared her observation that the team’s confidence improved over the course of the season. “People have gotten a lot more confident,” Littmann said. “You can just tell by the way people act that they’re less nervous to get in the pool or swim a difficult event, like fly. It’s been really good to see people getting better.”
For Knieps and Littmann, their leadership roles have been about more than just competition; they’ve been about building a culture of support and teamwork. Their efforts have helped shape a positive environment where athletes feel encouraged and motivated to improve.
This confidence has translated into both personal and team achievements. “This is really with any team, but really just time drops,” Littmann said, referring to the importance of swimmers improving their personal best times. “It’s kind of like an individual reward for everybody, but it’s good to see everyone getting better as the season goes on.”
The sense of growth has been apparent to the younger swimmers, including junior Adelaide Shaw. Shaw has learned much from the seniors, especially in terms of leadership and making others feel included. “I’ve learned a lot of how to be a leader, how to interact with new people,” Shaw said. “Watching all the people before me has shown me how to do it and how to make everyone feel included.”
Shaw is excited to take on more responsibility next season. “I feel more prepared to step up into bigger roles next year,” Shaw said. “I think definitely watching the seniors has helped me prepare to make everyone feel included.”
As underclassmen like Shaw step into leadership positions next season, they carry forward the lessons instilled by this graduating class. The transition may bring challenges, but the foundation of unity and dedication left behind ensures the team will continue to thrive.
For the seniors, the season has been filled with memorable moments, especially as they head toward the end of their swim and dive careers. “I’m gonna miss the people most,” said senior diver Sydney Robertson, who has been a part of Erie’s diving team. Robertson, who has a close-knit bond with both the Erie divers and those from other schools in the district, said, “We don’t really get to interact with any of the swimmers until meet days, but all the swimmers and divers still have a good connection because of outside of swim and dive connections and friendships.”
When asked about the most memorable event from the season, Robertson pointed to the Boco Invite. “The most memorable is probably going to be the Boco invite,” Robertson recalled. “There was just a lot of things that happened at that meet.”
For Robertson, the highlight of the season was striving to reach her goal of qualifying for state. Although she fell just short, missing the cutoff by 0.25 points, she remained proud of her achievements. “My goal was to get to state, and I got 0.25 points away from getting to state,” Robertson said. “But in my mind, I still made it because if the judges were having a better day, I would’ve gotten to state.”
As the season comes to an end, the seniors have important advice for the underclassmen who will be taking on leadership roles in the future. Littmann reiterated how quickly time passes when you are having fun. “Don’t take the time for granted,” Littmann said. “It goes by really quickly. Make the most out of the time you have and get to know people. Don’t complain because you always have an opportunity to, but still don’t.”
Knieps also shared words of wisdom for future captains. “It’s pretty fun honestly,” Knieps said, encouraging the underclassmen to enjoy the leadership experience. “I like being able to plan a lot of things for the team and taking charge of what’s going on. It gets you closer with a lot of people that you never really expected that you would.”
Both captains emphasized the importance of staying grounded and maintaining perspective. “Not to stress too much,” Knieps advised the underclassmen. “It’s pretty fun honestly, and you get to plan things for the team and take charge. It also gets you closer to people you wouldn’t normally expect to.”
As the season concludes, the seniors express a mix of emotions. While there’s a sense of pride in their accomplishments, there’s also a feeling of sadness as they prepare to leave behind a team that has shaped their high school experience. “I’m really going to miss being part of a team,” Knieps said. “It’s been a part of my life for the past three years, and just being able to be active is going to be harder when it’s not as much of a time commitment. It’s going to be harder to find ways to be active next year without swimming.”
Littmann echoed this sentiment, adding that it will be the adrenaline and feeling of accomplishment from races that she will miss most. “Probably the adrenaline, honestly, from racing,” Littmann said. “Just the feeling it gives you from dropping time or achieving something you really wanted to do.”
The team will undoubtedly face challenges as they adjust to the departure of the senior leadership, but Shaw remains hopeful. “I think we’ll still be a strong team next year,” Shaw said. “But it’s definitely going to be a lot different without them. They’ve shown us a lot about leadership and how to be good teammates.”
The impact of this year’s senior class on Erie’s swim and dive team cannot be overstated. As they graduate, they leave behind a legacy of hard work, leadership, and commitment that will continue to influence the team in years to come. “It’s a great opportunity to grow as a leader and connect with people you didn’t expect to get close to,” Knieps said, reflecting on her experience as a co-captain.
Littmann, who has spent the last four years shaping her role as a leader, is proud of the team’s accomplishments. “I’ve loved being able to meet new people,” Littmann said. “I’m sad it’s coming to an end, but I’m really grateful for the time I’ve spent here.”
Though the seniors may be leaving, the lessons they’ve imparted will remain, helping the team continue its success as they pass the torch to the next generation of leaders
