Q&A with Lindsey Wilson College’s Head Coach: Alicia Kemnitz
By Michael J. Stott
Since she started the Lindsey Wilson College swimming program in 2010, Alicia Kemnitz has placed the Blue Raiders in the Top 10 at the NAIA National Championships 11 times.
Credentials:
• Hollins University, B.A., history, minor in women’s studies, 2002; Old Dominion University, M.S. Ed., sport management, 2005
• Lindsey Wilson College men’s and women’s head coach, 2010-present
• Assistant women’s coach at Lycoming College, 2009-10
• King’s College men’s and women’s head coach, 2005-09 (at King’s College, her teams won 8 Middle Atlantic Conference crowns in 8 attempts)
• Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year—2015, 2017 (men); 2017, 2018 (women)
• Coached LWC teams to 11 NAIA Top 10 finishes (women, 6; men, 5)
• Youngest inductee ever into Hollins University Athletics Hall of Fame (2007)
• Doctoral candidate in higher education leadership with a focus in sport management at Grand Canyon University
Alicia Kemnitz serves as president of the NAIA Swimming Executive Committee. She is a member of various aquatic administrative bodies, including
D-III Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, the NAIA Champions of Character National Committee and the NAIA National Swimming Rules Committee. Kemnitz also serves as chair of the Mid-South Conference’s Women’s Advisory Committee.
Swimming World: What were major challenges in starting the Lindsey Wilson aquatics program from scratch?
Alicia Kemnitz: Rural Kentucky has few YMCA and similar organizations, so the people in this area have very little access—and little knowledge—of basic water safety, aquatic programming—like swimming lessons—or competitive swimming. It was, and still is, a challenge to educate the community about everything aquatics. We really had to start from the ground-up in terms of educating people.
Columbia, Ky. is surrounded by lakes—both Green River Lake and Lake Cumberland. So, when I first moved here and took over the role of aquatics director, I really wanted to promote water safety, especially through our swimming lesson program. We have been offering swimming lessons for nine years now, and started a water safety pledge initiative this summer. We have also grown the competitive swimming presence in this area through the college and now USA age group and high school team programs.
To access our full interview with coach Alicia Kemnitz,
check out the September 2019 issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!
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Swimming World Magazine September 2019 Issue
FEATURES
016 TEST RUN FOR TOKYO
by Craig Lord, John Lohn and David Rieder
With the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo a year away, this summer’s World Championships, July 21-28, in Gwangju, South Korea was a global meet of watersheds, with pioneers refusing to yield to youth and youth seizing their day to overtake pioneers. It also served as confirmation that we live in a new age of longevity and strong dynasties.
18th FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MINI-FEATURES:
018 CAELEB DRESSEL: ALWAYS STRIVING TO GET BETTER AND FASTER
020 ADAM PEATY: MAKING “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” POSSIBLE
021 REGAN SMITH: SUDDENLY, AN OLYMPIC FAVORITE
022 KATIE LEDECKY: DESPITE ILLNESS, LEDECKY REMAINS CONFIDENT
024 DOPING: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
026 RISING TO TOKYO
028 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PHOTO GALLERY
030 EMERGING FROM THE SHADOWS
by David Rieder
The Carmel High School girls swimming team has won six national titles in the last nine years. But at the end of the 2018-19 season—and after finishing national runner-up the last two years—it was the Carmel boys who seized the spotlight as the best swimming team in the country.
033 SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S BOYS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor
035 REPEAT CHAMPIONS
by Dan D’Addona
Coach Polly Linden’s Harpeth Hall (Tenn.) swimmers have dominated the last two Swimming World girls’ national high school championships, winning by 35 points last year and nearly 50 this year over Santa Margarita Catholic, 168 to 118.5.
038 SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S GIRLS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor
042 MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH NATALIE COUGHLIN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COACHING
010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: PHIL MORIARTY
by Michael J. Stott
014 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: RISK FACTORS FOR SHOULDER INJURY IN SWIMMING
by Rod Havriluk
The most common risk factors for shoulder problems are overuse, muscular imbalances and harmful technique. Fortunately, there are also options to minimize risk.
044 SPECIAL SETS: EARLY AGE GROUP TRAINING—GETTING STARTED
by Michael J. Stott
Megan Hughes, an Aquajets Swim Team lead age group coach, offers insight on what a youngster with some summer league success can expect when deciding to try a year-round program.
046 KNOWING THE BASICS OF AGE GROUP SWIMMING
by Michael J. Stott
Here’s everything parents need to know about age group swimming.
051 Q&A WITH COACH ALICIA KEMNITZ
by Michael J. Stott
052 HOW THEY TRAIN: JESSICA MACDONALD
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: FALL STRENGTH—BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
049 GOLDMINDS: NEVER SAY NEVER
by Wayne Goldsmith
When success doesn’t come easily or early—relax! Success will come if you give everything you have to the achievement of your goals, and if you work tirelessly to be all you can be.
055 UP & COMERS: TRISTAN PRAGNELL
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 BEYOND THE YARDS
040 THE OFFICIAL WORD
041 MOMS AT MEETS
054 HASTY HIGH POINTERS
056 GUTTERTALK
057 PARTING SHOT