It was shortly after her baby
years that she started swimming competitively at age five with no end in sight
as she still swims competitively with the Williamsport Area
Swim Club master's program. In between
then and now has been an experience through waters all over the US.
Although water is
water anywhere you go, the climate around the water can be much different. So it is no surprise that swimming in
California was much different than central Pennsylvania. Although Northern California can get cold in
the winters, it is still a year round outdoor sport. "Winters there are not snowy but
they do get some cold temps, and lots of rain. Swimming throughout the
winter in the outside made us pretty tough. I can remember putting tarps
on and off the pool with icicles on them" said Sinclair.
But as tough as it was for the
swimmers in northern California winters, it was tougher for the coach who stood
on deck through it all. "Lee
Panttaja, who was my coach from the age of 9 through 18, would stand outside in
the rain, sleet, whatever, and coach us every night", said Sinclair. Whether it was this dedication of her coach
through adverse weather or his coaching style, Sinclair grew to love and excel
at the sport.
Looking for a new experience and
a chance to interact with some distant family members, she headed for the
direct opposite of cool Northern California winters to the brutal winter
conditions of Buffalo (average snowfall is 93 inches). Here, she swam Division I at the University at
Buffalo and was team captain her senior year in 2003.
Swimming in a Division I program
can be tough but add the responsibilities of team caption and your plate is
full. "Being team
captain in college was an experience that I will always take with me,"
said Sinclair. "Sometimes as captain you have make decisions that
are not the most popular or easy and it can be difficult but in the end it is
rewarding. Participating in a Division I swim program for four years and
keeping your academics up at the same time can be grueling and difficult in
itself and being team captain intensifies that pressures. But in the end
it teaches you a great deal about yourself, your strengths and
weaknesses."
iI should be
noted that the University at Buffalo swim program produced seven
swimmers that took part in the US Olympic Trials this past summer.
While continuing her master's and
doctoral degrees at University at Buffalo, she gave back to the swim community
by coaching at a high school and through a local USA Swimming team. Employment opportunities eventually brought
her and her husband to the area.
A new coach always brings new
ideas and philosophies to their program and Sinclair is no different. Whereas some coaching philosophy is to pound
out the yardage, Sinclair's is more on technique. "I want high school
swimmers to learn proper form and technique. I push quality over quantity",
said Sinclair. "I would rather swimmers give me 2,000 yards well
than 6,000 sloppily."
Coaches have
played an important role in her life and some of their lessons are passed on
through Sinclair. "My coach Lee
(Panttaja) taught me this love of technique in the sport'" said
Sinclair. "I love to learn and teach new drills. My college
coach also instilled in us a love of hard work and persistence that I hope to
pass on to high school swimmers. Doing everything quality is not always
the easiest route but no matter the results you finish knowing you gave it
everything. Swimmers will find that this approach benefits them not just
in the pool but also in the classroom and also later the workplace."
But with many older swimmers, it
is the love of water they desire to pass on to the younger generations. "I try to instill an appreciation of the sport that will last them a
lifetime. Swimming is one of those sports that people can benefit from
childhood well into their senior years", said Sinclair.
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