Birkholz returns to Dolphins as head coach
By Jim den Hollander, Dells Events Sports Editor
This summer, Ruthe Birkholz is returning the favor done for her years ago and serving as a role model and great example for the Wisconsin Dells Dolphins Swim Team.
At age seven, Birkholz signed up to swim for the Dolphins, remaining with the team until graduating from Wisconsin Dells High School as an 18-year-old.
"Then I swam at UW-Green Bay and Milwaukee," said Birkholz in a recent interview at the pool.
This is actually her second stint with the team, but it will be a brief one as she moves into married life and a new career in the fall.
In between stints, Birkholz also coached the YMCA team in Appleton - a 300-member squad and for the past two seasons, she was varsity coach for the Appleton North High School squad.
"I was finishing up my masters in community and school counseling and I'm getting married in the fall, so before I decide to get a 'real job,' and before I graduate I thought, okay, I'm going to coach one more summer," said Birkholz.
"Then I'll go back and I graduate in December. I'll get a job and I'll probably still coach the Appleton North girls."
As far as differences in the eras, Birkholz said she doesn't recall how the number of swimmers compare but she is glad to see one difference.
"When I was a kid, the (starting) blocks were in the shallow end. We had to dive into the shallow end," recalled Birkholz with a chuckle.
Birkholz said while the older kids swam the length of the pool, the younger ones swam their 25 meter distance to a rope across the pool.
As for the names of swimmers go, Birkholz says, "A lot of the kids that were on the team have kids on the team now.
After coaching highly competitive swimmers year-round in Appleton, Birkholz admitted it is a little difficult to get used to the recreational/competitive three month season for the Dolphins.
"It's hard because some of the kids want more competitive and some don't so they have to get out of it what they want to get out of it.
"I have the workouts there that are kind of harder if they want that."
Perhaps the biggest thing Birkholz brings to the team is the realization that continuing on as a competitive swimmer after the Dolphins is a legitimate goal.
"I went to college and I had a college scholarship and that was after swimming just three months a year. You don't have to be a year-round swimmer. You can have those goals."
"I guess for me...swimming is not easy, but it's one of the easiest scholarships to get in college. Because, you're average joe can play basketball and football. Not many people can do a flip turn," said Birkholz.
"A lot of the people I swam with in college didn't start swimming until they were in high school and they're amazing swimmers. And, when I went to college, I was a walk on. They didn't come to the Dells and recruit you know.
"I was just a walk on and after a year, they saw that I worked hard and so I got the scholarship.
That inspiration and the upcoming Olympic Games will hopefully translate into even more swimmers on the Dolphins next summer.