By Lileana Pearson, College Swimming World Intern
This was Oklahoma Baptist University’s last season with the NAIA. Head coach at OBU, Dr. Sam Freas, is grateful for his time in the NAIA which he’s used to develop talent and character.
“A famous coach said long ago that enthusiasm and motivation are contagious, but the bottom 30 percent of your team develops the team culture,” Coach Freas said. “If some of the bottom 30 percent in talent become some of your best through hard work, think about what is does to a team culture. The NCAA does not permit such a thing, which is against my philosophy. Small college athletics is all about developing people.”
Their two years in NAIA have allowed them to create a small team atmosphere that that can nurture and keep as they move into the more athletic-focused NCAA Division II.
Freas has quite the history of experience under his belt. He is a former Republic of South Africa Olympic coach and NCAA Division I coach for Arkansas, Hawaii and Louisiana State as well as SUNY-Potsdam and Allegheny College. Coach Freas has produced amazing swimmers over and over again. He has coached 19 Olympians and his swimmers have set seven American records and three world records.
Photo Courtesy: OBU Public Relations
Though the OBU swim program did not start until the 2011-12 school year, they have had nothing but huge success at invitationals as well as NAIA Championships. They were able to win NAIAs from year one because there was no college swimming in Oklahoma, and there was no men’s swim teams within a 400-mile radius of Shawnee, OK.
“OBU never had a team, no lane lines, no starting blocks, no diving board,” Coach Freas said. “Within two months, we had equipment and around 70 swimmers and divers to compete the first year.”
Because of the lack of swimming schools in Oklahoma, OBU appealed to students in-state who wanted a collegiate swimming experience.
The Christian mission of OBU also attracts several international swimmers as well, making for an interesting mix on the team. Former swimmers of Coach Freas also began referring people they knew. The men’s team surprised everyone when they won NAIAs the first year and broke five national records. The women were runners-up in 2012 with only eleven women on the team.
For now OBU would like to continue to develop swimmers to be world-ranked, and provide an atmosphere where someone can swim, have fun and explore their potential. They fully intend to have a profound impact on NCAA DII swimming and in the words of Coach Freas, “I can’t wait.”
Uncle Sam’s come a long ways since his days @. Fayettevillevand each stop along thecwaynhas produced success both in terms of swimmr development and developmentnof the swimmer into a great person.
Congratulations, coach, now let’s see some of your OBU swimmers representing their various home countries both at Kazan this summer and then next year at Rio. And a podium finish or two wouldn’t be too bad either!
Sad to see OBU leave the NAIA – they were a joy to watch and helped to set the standard for other competing teams. The best of luck in the NCAA DII.