Coaching swimming in and of itself can be a fun job, but coaching swimming in a coastal town for a team that uses a Dolphin as a mascot is a dream job. Jennifer Harris knows it, and she is taking her new position seriously.

Earlier in the year, Harris sent a resume’ to some schools along the Gulf Coast looking for a swimming coach position. She was already coaching, working with the football and track programs at Monroe County High School. But Harris, who had worked for six years with the BMAC (Baldwin Mobile Aquatic Club) team in Brewton, wanted to coach at the high school level.

After meeting with Athletic Director Mark Freeman and Dr. Ernie Rosado, it looked as if Harris would be a perfect fit for the Gulf Shores Dolphins swim team, and just as school began, Harris moved to town to take over her new position.

In addition to coaching at the high school, Harris will work with Brook Monroe and the Gulf Shores swim team at the Bodenhamer Recreation Center.

The hire will benefit the high school in that, in years gone by, coaching swimming has always been done by a coach of another sport who had other responsibilities. Harris will be the swim coach and that is all, and she is excited about what she already sees.

“I have 21 kids on the team now. They are doing anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 yards a day. We have a lot of potential,” Harris said of her new team that practices at 6 o’clock in the morning. “I have some good powerhouse swimmers, some new swimmers that are learning the extra strokes that I need like the butterfly and breaststroke, and I have a lot of backstroke potential.”

Harris hopes that when it comes to state competition, she will be able to take more than just a relay team and one or two individuals.

“I think we can probably take at least 10 to 12 kids up to the state level and hopefully have all of them do individual events as well as the relays.”

Harris said that the kids are working very hard, they are hungry to succeed, and that she is going to help them reach their goals.

With most of the team involved in other activities such as band, golf, and afternoon jobs, Harris is impressed with the efforts they put forth, especially showing up early in the mornings for practice. But she says it is just a sign of their dedication to the program.

Athletic Director Mark Freeman says that Harris is already having an impact on the program.

“We are very happy to have Coach Harris here,” Freeman said. “We like her, the kids like her, and she is going to be an asset to our athletic program.”

Harris is not your typical swim coach who sits by the pool, barking instructions to her swimmers. She actually gets in the pool and works with the kids.

“The kids are not used to a coach getting in the water with them,” said Harris. “With all of your dry land sports, the coaches are ther showing you how to throw or tackle or putt, and really the only way you can show a swimmer how to swim is to get in the water and show them.”

As the Dolphins head into their fall swim meet schedule, Harris and the Phins are working hard and looking forward to heading to Auburn the first weekend in December to make their mark at the state level.

With a new coach and a hungry group of athletes, maybe other schools should indeed take heed and “Fear the Phins.”