Mellissa Reed named new Shawano girls swim coach

Mellissa Reed was named the new girls swim coach for the Shawano Community High School team.

Bonduel is also expected to have a couple of girls swim this coming season, so Shawano and Bonduel will be a co-op.

While there’s been some turnover with the team’s coach over the past couple seasons, Reed is actually a familiar face in the swim program at Shawano. She’s been involved with the girls and boys teams for six years.

She started as a coach for the Shawano Stingrays Swim Club, helping run the computer system for the club. She was also a board member for the club as a parent of a swimmer.

Reed served as the boys varsity assistant coach during the 2020-21 season. She then held the same role for the girls team this past season before serving as the interim head coach for the boys team at the end of its season.

“We are grateful to Mellissa for stepping up and agreeing to coach our girls swim team this fall,” said Shawano activities director Joel Wondra. “Her past involvement with the team, her involvement in the club program, and her strong organizational skills and care for the kids will allow her to effectively lead our program.”

Reed is hoping her involvement with the swim teams the past few years will help provide some stability to the program.

“I have known most of these girls since their years swimming in club as younger swimmers,” said Reed.

While the season begins in the fall, Reed has already began leading the team.

“During our summer camp at the end of June, I talked to our young ladies a little about my philosophy and hopes for the team,” said Reed. “I truly believe that due to uncertainty with coaching and COVID, our team needs to bond and build a team effort philosophy. Swimming takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I want our swimmers to learn to deal honorably with success and failure because they will experience both of these at some point during swim and life.

“As a varsity swim team, swimmers swim individual events and relay events and all of these events culminate in our team’s final score, so team effort is imperative. I expect our swimmers to support each other and give their best to create a positive environment. Always give it your best, set goals for yourself to achieve, yet take it one day at a time.”

Shawano placed sixth at the Bay Conference Championships last season under first-year coach Robyn Bartal.

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