Not So Sleeping Giant

11/20/2018

By Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement

Junior Sydney Whiting exemplifies perseverance in her rigorous swimming schedule, competing for both NOVA Swimming and Trinity.

It’s one thing to get up at 4:05 a.m. for an early flight or a special occasion. It is quite another to do this every day, five days per week, for three straight years. Yet that is business as usual for junior Sydney Whiting, who has been swimming competitively for NOVA Swimming since she was seven years old.

Whiting rises before dawn, puts in two hours in the pool, squeezes in a shower and breakfast, and arrives for Morning Meeting with a smile on her face. She also goes to the gym for two hours of lifting three afternoons per week and has Saturday morning practice at 5:30 a.m. Whiting is also an IB diploma candidate and is preparing for the SATs.

Whiting thrives in this environment, using organizational skills and list-making to stay on top of all that she has to do. And over the past several years, she has thrived in her swimming performance as well. This has led to a flurry of recruiting from colleges around the country.

A new challenge arose this fall, though, when colleges coaches were allowed to contact her for the first time. “Sept. 1 was when coaches could email and text for the first time. On September 1, I woke up at 8:00 a.m. had 30 emails and 12 texts already.” Whiting admits to feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to handle the attention.

“It has been difficult having to respond to say ‘thank you but I am not interested’ or to learn how to talk about myself,” Whiting said. She has narrowed her options from 45 schools to 12 and will continue to learn more about those schools and their programs.

Whiting wants a school that has a balance between academics and athletics and is not dominated by one or the other. She wants a strong degree and a great swimming experience. And one element of the Trinity’s swim team that she hopes to carry with her is camaraderie. “For our Trinity team, I love the spirit and support of the team. Every person on the team matters and that is true for the cheering as well. Everyone contributes.” She hopes to experience a similar support system with her college choice.

Whiting is considering several schools in major conferences, including the ACC, the Ivy League, the SEC, and the Big Ten. There have been some NCAA rules changes that have affected the recruiting schedule and the timetable for commitment has shifted forward. Whiting may commit by this summer though she is not rushing the process. “It was difficult at first to know what to say and to talk to coaches, but I have adjusted and it has become easier.” Whiting credits her parents with their tremendous support and being there for her in every facet of the process.

She also said Head of School Rob Short and Associate Director of Admission Sam Mickens have been valuable sounding boards on campus to help to understand the process and keep things in perspective. “Mr. Short and Mr. Mickens are so easy to talk to and have been so excited for me.” She is also aware of having many more followers on social media and the significance of her online presence for prospective coaches.

Whiting admits it is a lot to manage and says the support of the Trinity community has been so valuable. “I love being able to be close to teachers and classmates. Trinity’s size allows those relationships and everyone really cares.”

Though it could be logistically easier to swim only for NOVA, Whiting cherishes her experience on Trinity’s swim team and appreciates the differences between the two. “With club swimming, everyone is fast and swimmers can be replaced in events. For Trinity, every team member is important, from racing to cheering.” Whiting loves the sense of spirit and is a captain on the team this year, a special honor as a junior.

Outside of swimming, Whiting also loves the loves creating ceramics pieces in Trinity's art studio, a passion she has also been able to pursue academically through the IB arts program. “It is good stress relief and focal point, and I can express myself through that medium.”

There is no “snooze” in Whiting’s vocabulary, as she enters Trinity’s swim season as well as continuing to strive for improvement with her NOVA club while maintaining her Headmaster’s List academic standing.

“I love the feeling of individual accomplishment and being able to push myself, but also the team element because your performance matters to the team.” It is the balance of the two that enlivens Whiting, and it is her ability to balance that makes her such a special student-athlete.

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About “Connections”

Connections is a regular online column, written from the first-person perspective of Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement:

In this space, I have the privilege of sharing stories of Trinity students, alumni, and faculty and staff who are carrying our mission beyond the boundaries of campus. Many of these stories might not make the headlines, but they will illustrate how every member of the Trinity community has a unique path to discover, and the ability to make an impact on both the Trinity community and the world beyond.

I am fortunate to have been a part of this community since my own adolescence. I have been a student, a teacher, a coach, and an administrator, and in these roles I have witnessed the school’s growth and evolution through the years. We have grown in size as well as spirit.

Stories here will capture how seeds planted at Trinity have taken root and flourished into full-grown passions. You’ll also read stories of those in our community who bring their gifts from outside to help us learn. At Trinity, we seek to develop lifelong learners, and stories here will illustrate real-life examples of that beautiful symbiosis.