Monday, July 12, 2021
My Why: Alec Liu & Mary-Catherine Ivey
Photo of Alec Liu (left) and Mary-Catherine Ivey (right). Photo of Ivey courtesy of Tatjana Alvegaard.
Some sage soul, possibly Rowdy Gaines, once mused, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
During the reign of ‘Rona, our hearts were swollen to the point of bursting with pent-up fondness for our sport. Thankfully, we’ve turned the corner, with pools reopening and meets resuming.
We can once again experience those obligatory groans at early-morning practices, swimmer hair, the communal joy of a dropped tenth. Relationships make this sport special, and the laughter, hugs, cheers and tears have returned. Our chlorinated security blanket that had dropped down under the bleachers is back in hand.
"My Why" is a series of candid testimonials shared by individuals who believe in the power of swimming. Because everyone — athlete, coach, official, family member — has a story.
Alec Liu | Kansas City Blazers national team swimmer (18) | Leawood, KS
One February night in 2010, when I was seven years old, I was waiting with my mom to pick up my older brother from swim practice. While sitting in the faded, blue bleachers of Blue Valley North High School, the coach approached, offering me a chance to try out for the team. Timidly, whispering from behind my mom’s leg, I accepted. Eleven years later, I’m glad that I did — choosing to swim competitively has been one of the most defining decisions of my life.
First, I swim for personal improvement and discovery. To me, the pool is a unique proving ground to tune my skills and expand my physical and mental limits. Through thousands of yards, I’ve learned the vitality of hard work and consistency to high achievement. The unique rigor and demand of swimming—especially during those early morning practices and late-night Sunday finals—continue to evoke the best of my commitment and diligence.
Second, I swim to be with a community of truly amazing individuals. Through hundreds of hours of shared experience, I have forged close relationships with my teammates and coaches and formed unforgettable memories. My team is my everything, and I find the best analogy in our team’s logo, the Sun. Over the years, the Blazers have been my stars. Just like the Sun rises each morning, my Blazer coaches and teammates are an ever-present spring of hope, support, and energy. And just like I yearn for sunshine on cloudy days, I dearly miss my Blazer friends in their absence.
Our current team dynamic is fantastic. Let me give an example: recently, my teammate and I have engaged in a friendly debate, each trying to prove why the other person is better — and as we’ve traded compliments, we’ve further strengthened our friendship. That aspect of mutual respect, admiration and encouragement, weaved so prevalently within the fabric of our team, motivates me to step into Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center every day.
Third, and most importantly, I swim to contribute to a greater purpose. I see swimming as a cycle of tradition and legacy; its experience is meant to be passed down and improved upon from generation to generation. As I’ve gone through my high school years, I’ve seen less relevance in my efforts to achieve certain time standards and more relevance in my efforts to create lasting positive impacts on my team. As a senior leader, I find it imperative to leverage my position and my experience to uplift my teammates through genuine attention and care. Whenever possible and applicable, I speak encouraging words and offer new insights about mindsets, goals, and broader life. In the finite, final days of my career with the Blazers, this is my top priority. I see true (but often unrecognized) talent and value in every one of my peers, and I will do everything in my power to help them find their full potential — so that one day, when I’m no longer around, they will be ready to make waves of their own.
Mary-Catherine Ivey | Kansas City Blazers national team assistant coach | Overland Park, KS
When I was around four years old, my mother and I took a vacation to the beach. While we were at the pool one afternoon, I started watching a swim lesson. I sat on the edge of the pool until I flung myself in, face first without swimmies, and made my way to the other side. Every summer after that, I was at the pool for hours at a time. I eventually joined a summer league team, and after about three summers, I joined a year-round, competitive team at age 11.
After bouncing around between several sports, my mother told me I had to find a sport that I could enjoy and stick with. However, that was not the reason I stayed with swimming. Of all of the experiences I had as a swimmer, the few moments that stand out were the ones where I caught myself exceeding expectations, where I thought I would fail. For the first time, I felt good at something, and I developed a sense of belonging within myself. When I was in the water, it was always just for me.
Coaching has given me the ability to combine two loves: love for the water and love of helping people. Coaching was not exactly a career path I planned to pursue. I began coaching part-time for my club team as a college student, and here I am seventeen years later. I quickly found that I loved working with kids, I enjoyed teaching, and I appreciated the sense of community that team environments can bring about.
I frequently reflect on my own time as swimmer, and no matter the age of the athletes I’m working with, I consider how every interaction, conversation, practice, and overall experience will inevitably shape the perspective of these young individuals with potentially lasting impacts on who they grow to become. My goal is to ensure that my athletes learn to develop healthy boundaries with external pressures and internal expectations, while continuing to build a stronger sense of self and feelings of empowerment that can lend to their ability to trust and invest in their own personal potential. To focus only on that which they can control; learning to work with the chaos as it arrives, sitting with discomfort, disappointment and sometimes a little fear, to learn how to better shift into a place of readiness and confidence. To remain consistent in their approach to training and competing by staying present and mindful, while allowing for an objective level of acceptance of the outcome, knowing this is just another step forward towards the goal. To seek patience with the process (and themselves) and to keep faith that the work put in will manifest in its own time, while remembering to extract from the experience what is required for growth — growth in the sport, but also in ourselves, swimmers and coaches alike. Finding balance is key, as well as making room for joy!
Swimming gave me the opportunity for both personal and professional growth. It has been the constant in my life that has continued to challenge me and push me to keep trying to become a better version of myself, mostly to better serve my athletes. I most enjoy witnessing my swimmers grow as individuals and the transformation that occurs along the way, which I believe the sport of swimming fosters. I have been so privileged to work with many swimmers, and each of them has inspired me, challenged me and have contributed just as much to my life as I hope to have given to theirs.
Some sage soul, possibly Rowdy Gaines, once mused, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
During the reign of ‘Rona, our hearts were swollen to the point of bursting with pent-up fondness for our sport. Thankfully, we’ve turned the corner, with pools reopening and meets resuming.
We can once again experience those obligatory groans at early-morning practices, swimmer hair, the communal joy of a dropped tenth. Relationships make this sport special, and the laughter, hugs, cheers and tears have returned. Our chlorinated security blanket that had dropped down under the bleachers is back in hand.
"My Why" is a series of candid testimonials shared by individuals who believe in the power of swimming. Because everyone — athlete, coach, official, family member — has a story.
Alec Liu | Kansas City Blazers national team swimmer (18) | Leawood, KS
One February night in 2010, when I was seven years old, I was waiting with my mom to pick up my older brother from swim practice. While sitting in the faded, blue bleachers of Blue Valley North High School, the coach approached, offering me a chance to try out for the team. Timidly, whispering from behind my mom’s leg, I accepted. Eleven years later, I’m glad that I did — choosing to swim competitively has been one of the most defining decisions of my life.
First, I swim for personal improvement and discovery. To me, the pool is a unique proving ground to tune my skills and expand my physical and mental limits. Through thousands of yards, I’ve learned the vitality of hard work and consistency to high achievement. The unique rigor and demand of swimming—especially during those early morning practices and late-night Sunday finals—continue to evoke the best of my commitment and diligence.
Second, I swim to be with a community of truly amazing individuals. Through hundreds of hours of shared experience, I have forged close relationships with my teammates and coaches and formed unforgettable memories. My team is my everything, and I find the best analogy in our team’s logo, the Sun. Over the years, the Blazers have been my stars. Just like the Sun rises each morning, my Blazer coaches and teammates are an ever-present spring of hope, support, and energy. And just like I yearn for sunshine on cloudy days, I dearly miss my Blazer friends in their absence.
Our current team dynamic is fantastic. Let me give an example: recently, my teammate and I have engaged in a friendly debate, each trying to prove why the other person is better — and as we’ve traded compliments, we’ve further strengthened our friendship. That aspect of mutual respect, admiration and encouragement, weaved so prevalently within the fabric of our team, motivates me to step into Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center every day.
Third, and most importantly, I swim to contribute to a greater purpose. I see swimming as a cycle of tradition and legacy; its experience is meant to be passed down and improved upon from generation to generation. As I’ve gone through my high school years, I’ve seen less relevance in my efforts to achieve certain time standards and more relevance in my efforts to create lasting positive impacts on my team. As a senior leader, I find it imperative to leverage my position and my experience to uplift my teammates through genuine attention and care. Whenever possible and applicable, I speak encouraging words and offer new insights about mindsets, goals, and broader life. In the finite, final days of my career with the Blazers, this is my top priority. I see true (but often unrecognized) talent and value in every one of my peers, and I will do everything in my power to help them find their full potential — so that one day, when I’m no longer around, they will be ready to make waves of their own.
Mary-Catherine Ivey | Kansas City Blazers national team assistant coach | Overland Park, KS
When I was around four years old, my mother and I took a vacation to the beach. While we were at the pool one afternoon, I started watching a swim lesson. I sat on the edge of the pool until I flung myself in, face first without swimmies, and made my way to the other side. Every summer after that, I was at the pool for hours at a time. I eventually joined a summer league team, and after about three summers, I joined a year-round, competitive team at age 11.
After bouncing around between several sports, my mother told me I had to find a sport that I could enjoy and stick with. However, that was not the reason I stayed with swimming. Of all of the experiences I had as a swimmer, the few moments that stand out were the ones where I caught myself exceeding expectations, where I thought I would fail. For the first time, I felt good at something, and I developed a sense of belonging within myself. When I was in the water, it was always just for me.
Coaching has given me the ability to combine two loves: love for the water and love of helping people. Coaching was not exactly a career path I planned to pursue. I began coaching part-time for my club team as a college student, and here I am seventeen years later. I quickly found that I loved working with kids, I enjoyed teaching, and I appreciated the sense of community that team environments can bring about.
I frequently reflect on my own time as swimmer, and no matter the age of the athletes I’m working with, I consider how every interaction, conversation, practice, and overall experience will inevitably shape the perspective of these young individuals with potentially lasting impacts on who they grow to become. My goal is to ensure that my athletes learn to develop healthy boundaries with external pressures and internal expectations, while continuing to build a stronger sense of self and feelings of empowerment that can lend to their ability to trust and invest in their own personal potential. To focus only on that which they can control; learning to work with the chaos as it arrives, sitting with discomfort, disappointment and sometimes a little fear, to learn how to better shift into a place of readiness and confidence. To remain consistent in their approach to training and competing by staying present and mindful, while allowing for an objective level of acceptance of the outcome, knowing this is just another step forward towards the goal. To seek patience with the process (and themselves) and to keep faith that the work put in will manifest in its own time, while remembering to extract from the experience what is required for growth — growth in the sport, but also in ourselves, swimmers and coaches alike. Finding balance is key, as well as making room for joy!
Swimming gave me the opportunity for both personal and professional growth. It has been the constant in my life that has continued to challenge me and push me to keep trying to become a better version of myself, mostly to better serve my athletes. I most enjoy witnessing my swimmers grow as individuals and the transformation that occurs along the way, which I believe the sport of swimming fosters. I have been so privileged to work with many swimmers, and each of them has inspired me, challenged me and have contributed just as much to my life as I hope to have given to theirs.