Courtesy: Anthony Randall
I was too young to have seen Anthony Nesty swim on anything other than a VHS recording. But I do remember watching the sheer joy of him edging out American favorite Matt Biondi by one-hundredth of a second to win the 100 Fly at Seoul (1988). It was the first time I had ever heard of Suriname and the first time I had seen a black athlete compete in swimming on the Olympic stage.
I couldn’t tell you where my parents got that VHS tape but I know I watched it a few hundred times, until my VCR ate it. As a young age group swimmer, many of us dream of participating in the Olympics and then we come the realization that it will never happen. That video allowed me – for a split second – to dream of the possibility.
As I moved from club to collegiate swimming, seeing swimmers that looked like me was a novelty. As a black swimmer, you are often the only one, thus very aware when you are not. Since Seoul, American swimming has seen more diversity in the pool, but still has “a ways to go”.
Within Division I, II, and III there are less than 10 BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) Head Coaches, and if swimming wants to continue to grow and diversify, we need to remember representation matters. Even now as a Head Coach, I find there is an instant connection when I see another coach of color on deck – whether it be through the “nod” or conversation – we can connect through our shared experience of being a novelty.
While I may not have the accolades of an Olympic Gold medalist, NCAA Champion or NCAA All-American as some of my BIPOC peers, seeing them awarded the opportunities to lead on the highest stage motivates me as a coach.
Anthony Nesty is not only blazing a new trail, he’s more importantly changing the narrative and creating a new seat at the table.
ABOUT ANTHONY RANDALL
Anthony Randall is the head coach of the Marist Red Foxes swimming & diving teams at the NCAA Division I program located in Poughkeepsie, New York. In the same week where University of Florida head coach Anthony Nesty was named the head coach of the US World Championship team, Anthony Randall was leading his teams to a 4th place finish and 3rd place finish at the MAAC Championship meet for women and men, respectively. After taking some time to breathe, coach Randall put together thoughts of his experiences as a Black swimmer and coach, and what the historic appointment of coach Nesty meant to him.
Prior to Marist, Randall was an assistant coach at Fresno State for 5 years, and before that was the associate head coach of his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island.
Great article & statement, Anthony!
Good points here, but improving representation has to start at the level of youth participation, because the pool of potential coaches comes from people who have some past involvement in the sport. I don’t know what the solution is — scholarships, building more pools in underrepresented areas, etc. — but increasing representation at all levels of the sport has to start with increasing representation among youth participants.
Goooo Gators! Coach Anthony is the man-huge congrats.