This year, our very own Swim and Dive coach, Jeremy Wade, was awarded National Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association.

Coach Wade had a late start to swimming himself, as he began his sophomore year at Temple High School. He had formerly been a football player, and one day felt a pull toward swimming. He worked hard and got a scholarship to swim at Henderson State University. He broke the school’s record for the 100 and 200 breaststroke and was featured in the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame.
His first job as a high school coach was at Westfield High School but he switched to Magnolia West High School to coach alongside his own high school coach. “It was a tough decision making the switch to the Woodlands,” he explained, “but The Woodlands has a tradition of excellence, and of course, my wife is the volleyball coach here.”

When asked what motivates him as a coach, Coach Wade described how he remembers what it was like for himself to set and achieve goals, and he tries to channel that excitement for his students. He teaches that it is more fulfilling for them to set their own goals, so he gives them the freedom to do so and motivates them daily to work hard.

Coach Wade remembers one of the greatest years of his coaching career as being 2021. It was the year of COVID-19, but both the boys and the girls swim teams won state in the same year. The girls had been favored to win, and the boys had not won state in over a decade and originally, it had not looked good for them. The boys and girls teams had never both won state in the same year, so it was a very exciting year for The Woodlands.

Coach Wade describes his coaching style as “changing by the day.” He may go in with a plan and scratch it if it doesn’t feel right, or throw in something fun if the kids are dragging. Overall, he does his best to cater to each student individually to make sure everyone is receiving the best guidance possible. We wish the team the best of luck in the upcoming school-year!