"Be smart, be safe, be cool; follow the rules!"

Is just one of the many jingles Betsy Bruce has been reciting while teaching aquatics safety for the past 18 years. For nearly two decades, Oberlin College's Carr Pool has been the home of weekly swim lessons brought to you by the one and only, Betsy Bruce, Director of Recreation and Club Sports. 

Although her extraordinary career of service to the college will come to an end in December, her journey to the deck of the Carr Pool actually started years ago with her father, a swim instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

"Swimming has been a family thing since I was young and my father taught at West Point," explained Bruce. "His job at the academy was to teach survival swimming to cadets. When he moved to the College of Wooster to take over as the athletic director, he taught swimming fundamentals as well. Every Sunday after church, we would all go to the gym and he had access to just about everything, so we would swim and play all sorts of sports."

With much of her childhood spent in gymnasiums and on playing fields, her fondness for competitive and recreational activity - in particular aquatics and water safety - would manifest itself into her certifying as an aquatics instructor at the age of 17. From there she held a myriad of positions through her twenties. 

Now and for nearly the last two decades, Bruce, along with a myriad Oberlin College students throughout the years have been teaching local fourth and fifth graders water safety and swimming basics on weekday mornings. Twelve additional instructors assist Bruce with lessons on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings as well.

In July of 1999, Betsy came to Oberlin to take on the role of director of the recreation center under then Athletics Director Mike Muska, after coaching field hockey and lacrosse and teaching in upstate New York.

"I came here with over 20 years of aquatics experience already as a pool manager, lifeguard and lifeguard instructor and even stood in for my dad during one of his classes when I was an undergrad."

As the newly-appointed director of the recreation center, Bruce was contacted by the principal of Amherst's Harris Elementary School. The district already had a program in place, but Bruce believed that she could offer a better alternative. The next year, Carr Pool welcomed the children from the Amherst district and they have been coming back every year since. 

"Immediately, I knew it was going to be important," explained Bruce. "Before SplashZone, kids in Oberlin and the surrounding area didn't have a lot of opportunities to swim and learn about aquatics safety. I see it as a win-win. The college students get to be with kids, share something they love to do - swimming - and make a little pocket money. For the younger kids, they get to have the experience of a college-aged role model, while learning how to swim and how to jump off the high-dive. It is pretty cool!"

In addition to Amherst, the Oberlin school district has also been involved with weekly swimming lessons, strengthening the relationship between the Oberlin school system and the College.

This semester, four varsity-athletes and a club sports athlete are helping out on Thursday mornings with the Amherst fourth and fifth graders. Caroline Oehlerich (women's soccer), Ian Schmitzerle (football), Kennedy Kline (field hockey) and Gideon Tamir (men's soccer) and Katherine Karson (women's ultimate) joined a long line of Obies who have instructed over the years.

"I have been working for Betsy all four years. I started because I love working with children and I thought it was a great opportunity. It is really refreshing starting your day with teaching swim lessons. The kids enjoy it and it is a good feeling to have an important role in their day. I work with beginners and there is nothing better than helping kids overcome their fear of swimming, which ultimately makes them more confident. You can tell the fourth and fifth graders look up to Betsy and it's great to have a boss like her because she fully understands the life of an Oberlin College student and incorporates our experiences - academically and athletically - into working with kids. Betsy is extremely passionate and cares about every child she teaches and interacts with. This opportunity has made my Oberlin experience that much more valuable and pure."
- Oehlerich

"I got involved because I believe that it is so important for kids of all ages to build their swimming skills. Swim lessons ensure kids' safety around water and also allow them to have a fun experience by participating in aquatic activities. With a small group setting, I am able to get to know each of the students and help them individually with their skills. Although this is my first semester teaching lessons for Betsy, I quickly saw how passionate she is about the swimming program. I really respect her dedication to swimming education and her genuine enthusiasm that has contributed to a very fun and effective program."
- Karson

"This is my third semester teaching swim lessons. I took lessons when I was young and swam competitively until the 9th grade, so I thought teaching kids to swim would be a great job. At first, I struggled with the teaching aspect, but Betsy helped by suggesting little tips and different activities to do with the kids. She has a great personality for teaching kids and interacts with them so well, which is what has helped me become a better teacher. The most rewarding part is getting to see the kids grow each week. Betsy has been a great manager and a great supporter of my team and me. It's incredible to know that I have a boss who is so supportive of my athletics career."
- Kline

"I took swimming lessons as a kid and cherished those memories, so I believed it would be a meaningful experience to pass that on. My greatest take-away has been receiving thank you cards from the students and knowing that every single one of them enjoyed their time in the pool. Working with Betsy is fantastic; she is a wonderful communicator and has been extremely helpful. Working with the fourth and fifth graders is awesome. They are so fun to interact with and are always working hard to improve their swimming skills. Although it's only my first semester working for Betsy, I have already felt a stronger connection to the Oberlin community, which has greatly improved my college experience."
- Tamir

"I believe that swimming is a lifelong activity, and if I can save the life of a child through teaching them how to swim and water safety, then it has all been worth it." - Bruce

Though weekly swimming lessons are one of the longest-running programs that Bruce has overseen in her tenure, over time her role at the college has morphed to include heading the club sports program.

In 2008, a group of club sports athletes went to President Marvin Krislov with a list of requests to improve the program such, as access to the sports medicine staff and better, safer transportation options. After a year of research, club sports received an athletic trainer, improved transportation offerings and their own advisor - Betsy Bruce.

"After a year of research and planning, Joe Karlgaard, the Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education, and Linda Gates, Dean of Students at the time, asked me to change my job. Half the time I would fall under student life as the director of club sports, and the other half would be my normal responsibilities as the director of recreation. At first, it was a challenge. I thought it was asking me to give up a lot, and initially the club sport athletes didn't want an advisor. Fortunately, I have very good colleagues in the industry who helped me along the way."

Through networking with her associates throughout the state and Oberlin's peer institutions across the country, Bruce essentially built the club sports program into a superb complement to Oberlin's 21 varsity sports.

Today, Bruce oversees 25 club sports, from quidditch to fencing and aikido, to men's and women's soccer to equestrian and women's and trans rugby. There's practically something for everyone. 

"Betsy has been a staple of Oberlin's recreational programming," said Natalie Winkelfoos - current Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education. "Her contributions are significant and her insight and perspective always valued. She has done her job really well and completes each responsibility with a lot of passion -- this is irreplaceable."

Her tenure at Oberlin has endured five athletic directors, three U.S. presidential administrations, and rolled through into a new millennium.

The one constant over her time at the College has been her innate ability to impact the lives of kids and young men and women every day she walks into Philips and Hales Gymnasiums. After retirement in December, Bruce has hopes to join up with the Peace Corps.

Regardless of where the road takes her after her time at Oberlin expires, her presence is sure to be missed and her impact will remain long after she says farewell.

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