Varsity girls swimming and diving have two new coaches, and one new philosophy: keep the sport fun.

            New varsity girls swimming coach, Joe Schoedel, said he wants to focus on keeping his sport fun for the swimmers.

            “If you’re not having fun, then you’re not going to want to do the sport anyways,” Schoedel said. “That’s why I’ve always got music playing and everything.”

            With this strategy, Schoedel said he hopes to have the girls finish in the top ten at State.

            “The girls placed 29 last year so I’m looking for a huge bump up,” Schoedel said.

Schoedel was assistant coach on the Parkway West swim team for 7 years, and he currently teaches P.E. at Lafayette. Schoedel said the rivalry between Lafayette and Marquette isn’t a problem for him, because the rivalry is nice and contained.

            “The swimmers made it really clear on the first day that I couldn’t wear any yellow,” Schoedel said. “But it’s a very civil rivalry.”

Varsity girls diving also have a new head coach, Lisa Roth. Roth coached at an Indiana country club. Roth said she started coaching instructing smaller children when she was 17

“I’ve been involved in sports ever since I was little,” Roth said.

She said that her love for sports now translates into her coaching. She decided to start coaching at Marquette because the time was right, she said, and Marquette fit her well.

Roth coaches four divers; two are returning divers, and two are new. Roth said she wants to work on improving each diver.

As a team, Roth said she wants the girls to have fun, and then success will fall into place.

“I want to continue to have a calm atmosphere,” Roth said. “Because the more relaxed [the divers] are and the more fun they are having, the better they’ll do.”