Y Talk: A Well-Deserved Thank You for a Great Coach by Isaiah Bell

Let me just start by saying that (Carlisle Family YMCA Aquatics Director) Tara Young is the best coach anyone could ever have. She is hands down one of the most amazing people I’ve ever gotten to know. She has been a great role model through almost my entire life, and I say almost my entire life because swimming has been my main focus for pretty much as long as I can remember. This past summer marked 10 years since I started my swimming career, first on the Carlisle Swim Club Swim Team and then at the Carlisle Family YMCA. Since that first day, Tara has been my coach.

But she is more than just a swim coach to me; she is basically family. Tara has helped me through a lot of things—some swimming related and some not. One of my main events is the 100 free. For the longest time I was unable to hold on for the last lap and would give up, but Tara never gave up. There were numerous intense practices where I would have to sprint the last 50 of the 100 and hold on until the finish. At that time I thought Tara was attempting to kill me, but the work paid off. That year as an 11-12 I broke a minute for the first time, which is a huge mile-marker for swimmers.

This past summer season I hit another one of those mile-markers when I qualified for YMCA Nationals in the 50 free. This has been a goal of mine ever since I first swam at a district meet and Tara has been there beside me 100 percent of the way. She is the whole reason I am where I am today and I couldn’t be more thankful. Ten years is a long time. Only six years of my life were spent not swimming. As soon as I started I knew it was the sport I would stick with.

Our team at the Y isn’t like any other team you will ever come across and that’s all thanks to Tara. She makes it an atmosphere where everyone is welcome and we feel like one big family. You can come to her with problems or to tell her all the juicy gossip from your day and she’s always ready to listen—well, unless you’re just stalling to get in the pool for practice or if she’s playing Candy Crush. Along with my parents, Tara has probably been the most influential person in my life and I’m so privileged to call her not only my coach, but family.

Tara – thanks for all you’ve done for me.

–by Isaiah Bell, CYAA Swimmer and Carlisle Family YMCA Lifeguard