In January, Bluffton University announced they were adding a swimming and diving team to their ensemble of sports. Last week on March 22, Ben Rath was named the new head coach for this new sport.
Phill Talavinia is the vice president of student affairs and athletics. He explained how the university went through a process of deciding what sport they should add which would help build student enrollment/attendance and what is more well known.
“Swimming and diving is popular in Northwest, West central Ohio and surrounding states and counties,” said Talavinia. “So we wanted to jump in.”
There isn’t a pool on campus, but the team will practice and compete at the YMCA in Lima. In adding this sport, Talavinia said Bluffton will be the seventh to eighth team to add it to their offerings. As a result, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference sport of swimming and diving is strengthened, he said.
The schedule for the team is in plan to tentatively be released before fall semester begins. It is hoped the team will compete from beginning of October to early December, and after winter break, to have a conference championship in early February while having dual meets in between as well.
Ben Rath is the newly appointed swimming and diving coach. He went to the University of Findlay, where he swam for five years from 2013 to 2018 and was then the assistant coach before taking the job of being the lead coach from 2018 to 2021.
Aside from coaching at the University of Findlay, Rath had coached the Findlay area swim team in his undergraduate and has also worked at some country clubs. He has experience teaching people how to swim as well as specific techniques to swim better.
Rath had heard about the position at Bluffton from his former boss at the University of Findlay, and thought it was a good fit as he had been near the area already. His family is also here in Ohio, so it felt like the next step.
“I’m really passionate about coaching, really passionate about swimming. I’ve always wanted to take the next into becoming a head coach,” said Rath. “Seeing that that opportunity was available, I felt very prepared for it. Felt like a perfect match.”
Rath has been swimming for most of his life. In his journey as swimmer, he has received many accolades and records ranging from conference to high school.
“I’ve been swimming since I was 6 years old,” said Rath. “So it’s been something that has been throughout my life. When I was finishing my undergrad, I always came back to swimming. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a swim coach.”
Rath wants to be able to give the same experience within the swim community he had throughout his competitive career. He has experience recruiting students to join swim teams and has already begun the process of getting a team together for the Bluffton Beavers.
Students who are interested in joining, whether or not you are already playing in a collegiate sport, you are welcome and encouraged to contact Coach Rath at rathb[at]bluffton.edu .
“I’ll teach anybody how to swim, that’s something that I feel really strong about,” said Rath. “Anybody who has a swimming background, I can bring them up to speed quickly enough where they would be comfortable to compete at a collegiate level. Anybody is welcome on the team.”
