Submitted by: Bellingham Bay Swim Team
Bellingham Bay Swim Team’s (BBST) Elite squad finished up their short course championship season Sunday, March 19 with some outstanding swims and big wins at the 2017 Speedo Spring Senior Sectionals in Federal Way, Washington and their head coach Sean Muncie was named Pacific Northwest Swimming (PNS) Coach of the Year.
Muncie, has directed the Bellingham Bay Swim Team since 2011 and has lead BBST to new heights: breaking team records, producing state champions, developing nationally ranked Top 10 qualifiers—Sectionals, Junior Nationals and Olympic Trials. In an interview on Monday, on what keeps him motivated, Muncie said, “Knowing I can always do something to improve myself, my team, and my swimmers …. The challenge to keep moving forward and not accept status quo regardless of situation or temporary obstacles and setbacks.” His vision for BBST is to continue to build the expectation for character and success from the top down with his National-level swimmers and to build a sustainable, well-balanced program up through Age Group swimmers.
With a team of 130 swimmers, BBST is small in comparison to teams around the state and U.S. but currently has 16 Top-200 nationally ranked swimmers, ages eleven to seventeen. Muncie strives to instill in all his swimmers that “Everything is possible. The limits you put on yourself are often ones that others have placed on you. Eliminate your fear. Stop expecting things to happen for you. Take control and stop being afraid to make the commitment. Swimming builds habits and one of the most valuable habits we can teach the swimmers is to constantly challenge yourself.”
He said he was honored to be recognized by his peers as the Coach of the Year in the Pacific Northwest. “It’s good for the program. Getting BBST to this point has been a team effort by all the coaches, swimmers, and parents on BBST. We are all invested in the swimmers and in creating something larger than ourselves. It’s another win for the team.”
