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Highlands Today

Swim Coach Marvin Wolfe Loves Water, Swimming

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Marvin Wolfe has been the coach of the Hurricanes for the past 12 years. He coaches swimmers as young as 3-years-old to 52-years-old.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: July 29, 2008

AVON PARK - Morning is just coming alive as dozens of kids enter the cold water at Avon Park High School -- half asleep and with nothing more than an internal compass to guide them to their ultimate goal.

That goal is different for every swimmer, but one factor remains the same: Highlands Hurricanes head coach Marvin Wolfe is the guiding force behind their efforts.

"You never know what's happening internally to get them to keep coming to the pool day in and day out," Wolfe said of the swimmers that belong to the county club. "But no matter the reasons, I'm there to cultivate their yearning for the sport."

Sean Spiegel was one of his first protégés who's ridden the wave of Wolfe's tutelage in reaching those goals -- earning a spot in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials -- and is quick to thank his coach for realizing that dream.

"[Marvin] has really helped me in making me a better swimmer," Spiegel said. "He took me seriously when I wanted to make the Olympic trials and asked him to coach me."

It took Spiegel some coaxing at first.

"Sean just came up to me and asked if I could get him to the Olympic trials," Wolfe said. "I just sat silent and thought to myself 'Do I really know enough to help him?' and I just said, 'Let's go for it.' "

Wolfe been coaching the Highlands Hurricanes since 1997 and has built the program into an elite swim team.

By his own admission, Wolfe was born with water in his blood. Even his name Marvin means "lover of the sea" and his life has been spent in the water.

"I've always been in the pool," Wolfe said. "My parents were both swimmers and lifeguard instructors, so we learned how to swim and our whole family was lifeguards. I became the practice dummy for lifeguards in training, and I loved being in the pool."

Wolfe was a standout swimmer for Sebring High School, where he broke the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle records and was a state champion wrestler.

Although he achieved his greatest success in high school as a wrestler, there was no secret that swimming was his passion.

"Wrestling was just a sideline event for me," Wolfe said. "I used wrestling to help strengthen myself for the pool."

When in high school, Wolfe was a member of the Sebring Swim Streaks Club, where he helped raise money for the construction of the swimming pool at Sebring High School. He also fostered a Lake Placid swim club, which changed its name to the Highlands Swim Streaks Club to encompass the entire county.

In college, Wolfe took courses on swimming and soaked up different swimming and training techniques that would be invaluable while training Spiegel for the Olympic Trials.

In 1997, Wolfe took over the Highlands Hurricanes, which Greg Smith and Karen Hartman started.

"I love coaching and teaching someone with a genuine passion for swimming," Wolfe said. "And if they don't have a real love for the pool or swimming, they will after they spend some time with the Hurricanes."

The Hurricanes have become a Highlands County institution during the summer months when the swimmers compete in top tournaments across the state.

Spiegel blossomed under Wolfe's instruction (he earned All-Heartland Swimmer of the Year honors by the Highlands Today in 2000) and attended college at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. where he still holds many Statesmen swimming and diving records.

The former Blue Streak was an NCAA All-American at Delta State and still holds the DSU men's record in the 50-meter freestyle (20.67), 1-meter dive (11-dive/422.10), 3-meter dive (six dive/299.15), and 3-meter dive (11 dive/474.95) and is also a member of two Delta State relays that still hold the record in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay.

But what he really wanted was to compete against America's best swimmers.

"I knew I had it in me to achieve my goal and compete in the Olympic Trials," Spiegel said. "Coach Wolfe just sat down and laid out a training regimen that would continue to bring my times down."

For the longest time, Spiegel's 50-meter freestyle time was consistently in the 23:70 times and he wondered when he'd break through the wall, but Wolfe just kept encouraging him that he'd break through one day.

That day came on June 20, when he torched his personal best on his first attempt, blazing through the pool in a time of 23.15 in the 50-meter freestyle at the Coral Springs Swim Club Invitational, to punch his ticket to the USA Olympic Trials.

"Marvin helped me tremendously," Spiegel said. "He helped adjust little things in the way I swim that get the most speed out of every run."

Wolfe joined in the excitement when he got the call on his cell phone that Spiegel had made it.

"I was beside myself," Wolfe said. "This was the culmination of all those early mornings training and getting him prepared. He finally broke through and proved he belonged with the best."

Wolfe's children Quinlan and Megan are both accomplished swimmers and both have Olympic aspirations, so the future is looking bright for the Hurricanes.

Those early mornings where he pushes swimmers to break through their personal walls to reach their own goals is winding down for the summer, but Wolfe is thankful for the time he gets to spend with the kids and hopes that he's made a difference in their lives.

"I just want to empower these kids with the knowledge that they can achieve anything in life," Wolfe said. "Just remember those cold mornings in the pool and how hard they worked and apply the same dedication to whatever they pursue in life."

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5827 or at choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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