Waubonsie coach gets an education

Waubonsie Valley boys swimming coach Chad Ganden was a two-time state champion in the 100-yard freestyle at Naperville North in the mid-1990s and then went on to a successful college term at Michigan State.

Because of his early success in the sport, he has instant credibility with the teenage athletes he coaches, but he's always known that his reputation and the knowledge he picked up when he swam, only goes so far.

One thing experience has taught Ganden, 29, is that it takes years to learn how to be a successful swimming coach.

And that's why he's so eager to call on the wisdom and support of a pair of valuable on-site mentors, Illinois High School Swimming Hall of Famers Tom Schweer and Tom Musch.

Schweer, who guided the Hinsdale Central boys to three straight state championships (1997-99) is the girls swimming coach at Waubonsie Valley. The Waubonsie girls finished ninth at state last season in Schweer's first year at Waubonsie Valley.

Musch, who retired from coaching the Warriors' boys after 18 successful seasons, leading them to a fourth-place state finish in his last year, is the school's aquatics director.

"Tom Musch has been my mentor since I volunteered to help with his club team years ago, and he's really responsible for getting me into coaching," Ganden said. "Tom Schweer has such a long record of success, that I'm learning everything I can from him about coaching and training methods. Look how successful the girls were last year."

A coach in the making

Ganden was bitten by the head-coaching bug when he took over the Waubonsie Valley boys water polo team in 2003.

A year later, when Musch stepped down, he turned the reins of the boys swimming program over to Ganden, and the first-year head man took the team to fourth place in state.

"Tom Musch was a great role model and teacher," Ganden said. "He knows how to communicate with kids, get their respect and then get them to work hard and go fast."

Musch also taught Ganden every aspect of building a successful program.

"He was also terrific about communicating with the parents," Ganden said. "Our parents are the heart and soul of our program. They're our timers, scorers, they run the concessions, run the pasta parties and make noise and cheer for the swimmers. We've been lucky to have a great group of parents."

Musch saw early on that Ganden had certain traits that would make him a good coach.

"In both swimming and water polo Chad sees things that are happening that others don't see," Musch said. "And he's able to make adjustments faster. Also, he's keeping the kids in the program and he's keeping them interested. There's nobody who can teach you how to relate to students. He's good at that and he'll get even better with experience."

In his first year Ganden followed Musch's example and the team was successful.

"The first year, I believed the way Tom Musch did things was the only way," Ganden said. "But I've learned how to modify, take from Musch and Schweer and formulate my own style. And I think my confidence is growing because of that."

"Chad is likable and he communicates well with the kids," Schweer said. "He asserts the proper amount of discipline and he's very organized, and that speaks volumes to how he handles the team. Some young coaches are afraid to take suggestions thinking it might detract from their position as head coach. Chad picks people's brains and asks questions. He's willing to try new things. Because of that, he's growing as a coach faster than he normally would."

Finding his way

Schweer also praised Ganden for his flexibility in trying those new things and then discarding them if they weren't right for him or for his team.

Though Schweer plays down the help he's been to the Waubonsie boys program, by claiming that he just "drops by practice and talks to the kids every once in a while," Ganden believes the veteran coach has had a significant effect on his program.

"Tom (Schweer) has given me a great deal of assurance that our program is going in the right direction," Ganden said. "But he's also helped us put in an organized weight program. He showed us that you can get a lot more accomplished with less yardage if you break the kids into groups, with distance swimmers, sprinters, IMers and stroke swimmers all in their own lanes. He showed me that everything you do has a purpose and the kids have to know why they're doing things."

Both Toms taught Ganden that "the book" will tell you how to coach, but the best way to do things isn't always by the book.

Ganden also feels fortunate having assistant coach Tim Margerum to rely on.

"Tim's been great," Ganden said. "He's been with the program for years and he knows the sport. I've had to delegate a lot to him."

Ganden also looks back fondly on the help he was given by his high school coaches at Naperville North, George Klumb and Dick Raab.

While he knows there's a long way to go to come near the professional level of his mentors, Ganden is proud that many of the boys in the first three years of his program have gone on to swim competitively or play water polo in college.

"It feels that I've taught those kids something and they're carrying it on," Ganden said. "Just like I've always had great coaches and now I'm passing that on."