Broadcast Staffer Edie Ash (far right) and members of East Athens Sea Turtles summer league swim team pose for a photo at Green Acres Crestwood Pool on June 22. As a child, Ash joined the East Athens Sea Turtles summer league swim team, where she found mentorship from older coaches and swimmers.“Beyond friendships, I was lucky enough to have young coaches who exceeded the bounds of their role,” Ash wrote. “Outside of improving my performance within the sport, they constantly offered guidance that extended far beyond the water. Their mentorship created a sense of comfort that I struggled to find elsewhere.” Photo courtesy of John Ashley
Broadcast Staffer Edie Ash shares her experience working as a swim coach during the summer and how it shaped her mentorship skills.
For me, summer break has always meant the beginning of summer league swim season.
I first joined the East Athens Sea Turtles when I was 10-years-old. The small swim team based in a quiet neighborhood pool became the backbone of my favorite childhood memories.
Beyond friendships, I was lucky enough to have young coaches who exceeded the responsibilities of their role. Outside of improving my performance within the sport, they constantly offered guidance that extended far beyond the water. Their mentorship created a sense of comfort that I struggled to find elsewhere. Whether the topic was swimming or my personal life, I truly felt like I could tell them anything.
“Once the season neared completion, ‘Coach Edie’ had become my favorite name. I began to see 10-year-old me in my swimmers, and my old coaches within myself. ”
— Edie Ash,
Broadcast Staffer
I eventually aged out of the program as I entered high school. Then, I was offered a coaching position for the 2026 season.
The first practice was packed with tension and nerves. However, once I played the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, the young swimmers’ whispers and unsure chatter quickly turned into lively conversation and laughter.
As the season progressed, kids would share facts and events from their personal lives with me. Whether it was the passing of a family pet or what they ate for breakfast, conversations rarely included the topic of swimming.
Broadcast Staffer Edie Ash and members of the East Athens Sea Turtles (EAST) summer league swim team pose at a swim meet on June 22 at Green Acres Crestwood Pool. Ash reflected on her summer working as a swim coach and how it taught her lessons about the power of mentorship. “Once the season neared completion, ‘Coach Edie’ had become my favorite name. I began to see 10-year-old me in my swimmers, and my old coaches within myself,” Ash wrote. “Taking on a position of coaching not only gave me an unforgettable summer, but enabled me to grow as a leader and mentor.” Photo courtesy of Katherine Denison
By June, I had perfected the skill of drawing our team mascot on twenty kids, all of whom struggled to remain still and knew every KPop Demon Hunters song. My nightstand slowly filled with hand-made cards and gifts from my swimmers.
Once the season neared completion, “Coach Edie” had become my favorite name. I began to see 10-year-old me in my swimmers, and my old coaches within myself.
Taking on a position of coaching not only gave me an unforgettable summer, but also enabled me to grow as a leader and mentor.
