By: Adriana Schader
Starting as an athlete himself, Matt Oonk rose to the position of head coach for both our Hamilton Girls and Boys swim and dive team, and this is his 7th year involved with coaching for Hamilton.
Matt got introduced to coaching 7 years ago,
“I started as Mr Talsma’s assistant coach for the boy’s team for 3 years and have been the head coach for both Boys and Girls teams for 4 years.”
Athletes say Matt is a Motivator,
Sophomore Tyler Babler, A swimmer of Matt’s, emphasizes,
“He pushes us to be our very best, he doesn’t settle for what we think we can do, he pushes us past our limits.”
Junior Jack Langland, A swimmer of Matt’s, states,
“He’s a really really great motivator, He’ll give me every opportunity I need to get better.”
The athletes also have favorite things coach Matt does for the team. They appreciate that Matt times them during practice, helping them keep track of their times, and that he makes the sport fun, enjoyable, and makes them feel like they are a family.
The kids inspire Matt the most, and he talks about the joy that coaching gives him.
“I’m very lucky to coach both a great group of girls and boys and watching them learn, grow, and continue to get better day in and day out is what keeps me going.”
“There is nothing better than seeing a swimmer drop a bunch of time in a race, or make a state cut, or do things they thought were impossible. Watching kids break past their limits never gets old and is always so awesome to watch.”
In a world where coaching can be hard, Swim and Dive coach Matt finds the good, and that reflects into the athletes he works with and motivates them to be the best they can. While also making the sport of Swimming and Diving fun for his athletes.