A Swim Down Memory Lane: A UMass Farewell to Bob

Day whichever of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:UMass Men’s Coach - Russ YarworthHead Men’s Coach 1979-2020Welcome back to the show! We couldn’t send Bob a final farewell without hearing from Russ. Russ coached the Men’s team at UMass and was a great companion to Bob. It was so fun to chat with Russ and hear some of his favorite memories. This will be our last show so enjoy! 

Day 83 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Friend of Cece - Jonathan Freeman Voice Actor for Jafar in Disney's AladdinWe welcome a very special guest to the show, Jonathan Freeman! He sends his well wishes for Bob’s retirement. My husband Steve wanted to contribute to the show so he invited Jonathan to say happy retirement to Bob and congrats to us for our wedding. Get this pandemic done, we got a retirement party to get to!

Day 81 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of me yet! For today’s guest we have:UMass Women’s Swimming Coach - Bob NewcombHead Swim Coach 1985-2020We welcome the star of the show, Bob! He was so touched by the response of the podcast, he wanted to share some of his favorite memories as our coach. We include a lighting round of some true or false items, so Bob goes way back to find some truths and debunk the false ones. I learned so much about Bob and the team- old traditions, new traditions that this show was an honor for me to do. It is the work I am more proud of. I truly am so thankful to be a part of the UMass swimming family and all because Bob decided to let a  red headed Californian who loved to swim onto the team. Sending huge thank you’s from the bottom of my heart for your support of the podcast. If you participated, listened, shared about the pod, I am so grateful for your contributions. Get this pandemic done, we got a retirement party to get to!

Day 80 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:UMass Diving Coach - Mandy HixonHead Diving Coach 2002-2017So thrilled to share that we have Mandy joining us on the pod! She coached along side Bob and Russ from 2002-2017 and has some great memories of Bob. He was always a good sport to have around and always up for a friendly wager. We will be back tomorrow for the last episode and it’s going to be a fun one! Get those flags down, we have a diving break to get to!

Day 79 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1981 - Bill TylerSwim Camp 1991-92, 2000-18Retired Head Coach for ElmsWe welcome one of Bob’s coach friends to the show, Bill! He was so kind to chat with me about his favorite memories of working with Bob and share well wishes for his retirement. Bill swam with Russ back in the day and graduated Class of 1981. We hear about Swim Camp days and looking forward to future days with Bob while in retirement. We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! All of the kids are ready for the no talent show so here we go!

Day 78 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:UMass Associate AD for Swimming 2010-18 - Joan HopkinsI am thrilled to welcome our next guest, we welcome Joan to the podcast! Joan was a former colleague of Bob’s as she was the Associate AD for Swimming and shares some wonderful memories of Bob. She was a swim coach herself and knew how intense the job of a swim coach can be- the long hours, being on the road, being there for your swimmers. She takes us to A10’s and the coaches meetings that went late into the night, this is a great episode to hear! We will be back Monday for another episode to share! Here we gooooooo, M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S MASSA MASSACHUSETTS!

Day 77 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2009 - Kaitlin GassOff Campus Residence - Red HouseStroke - Butterfly/IMWe welcome one of my closest friends and teammate Kait to the podcast! By chance, Kait and I were Freshman roommates and have remained close through out college and even to today. Kait was in a wedding this summer and gave the perfect speech. She shares some of her favorite memories with Bob and some of the things from swim camp days. I feel so fortunate for Kait’s friendship and we have Bob to thank for rooming us together Freshman year! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Here we gooooooo, M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S MASSA MASSACHUSETTS!

Day 76 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1990 - Michele “Shelf” LearyOff Campus Residence - Sylvan/down Rt 116/High StStroke - Mid-distance FreeThis is a super fun episode as we welcome Michele to the podcast! She joined the team in 1985 and ended up swimming a fifth year. She held five records during her time and was inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame for Swimming. She shares wonderful (PG) stories of Bob and her experience on the team. I feel so fortunate I got to chat with her and this episode is a for sure listen! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Here we gooooooo, M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S MASSA MASSACHUSETTS!

Day 75 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1987 - Allison Uzzo De BellisOff Campus Residence - Downtown AmherstStroke - Distance FreeYesterday we welcomed one of Bob’s last swimmers but today we are going to welcome one of his first! We’re going way back in the archives and welcome Allison to the pod! She was a Sophomore for Bob’s first year as the coach and have so many wonderful things to share. We chat about how Bob prepared all of us for life, was he our swim coach or get ready for life coach 🤔 Swimming is an individual sport but Bob really emphasized the team aspect and they are great skills to have. We will be back Monday for another episode to share! Here we gooooooo, M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S MASSA MASSA CHUSETTS!

Day 74 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2021 - Mariam LabibOff Campus Residence - HadleyStroke - Sprint FreeLet’s have so much fun with today’s episode as we welcome a current member of the team, Mariam! She is currently a Senior and enjoying her last year on Campus. She is originally from Canada and just returned home for the holidays. It is tough to admit which episodes are my favorite but it is so much joy to chat with the current members of the team as they bring so much energy and enthusiasm to the podcast! With Mariam, we chat surgeries, traditions and so much more! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! We have the first meet of the season tomorrow, time to go prank Bob’s house!

Day 73 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2007 - Liz Lovejoy AikenOff Campus Residence - Red HouseStroke - Butterfly and FreeWe are in for a real treat as we welcome one of my former teammates, Liz! She got super fast while on the team and I always admired her dedication to swimming and having a good time. Pranks made a brief come back all thanks to Liz and Meg, my favorite being when they saran wrapped the pool.  We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! We have the first meet of the season tomorrow, time to go prank Bob’s house!

Day 72 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Grad Assistant 1991-1994 - Ed MelansonOff Campus Residence - SunderlandUndergrad - Ohio StateWe are thrilled to welcome one of Bob’s grad assistants, Ed! He shares what it was like to coach with Bob, what he learned from Bob and the women, such fun times in Totman. We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! We have the first meet of the season tomorrow, time to go prank Bob’s house!

Day 71 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1999 - Julie Alexander HouseOff Campus Residence - Junior Year: Hobart lane Senior Year: Main St Downtown Amherst Stroke - Breaststroke/Mid-distance FreeWe welcome a great guest to the podcast, Julie! She shared a plethora of fun memories of the team and what it was like during the 1990’s. The pranks, adventures, oh my! A bit of what Julie shares is that when you swim for Bob, you join the family and I completely agree. Going back to UMass anytime seeing Bob feels like going home. Plus we chat so many more things, this one is a must listen to! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Get those flags up, we have a relay to get to!

Day 70 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1989 - Debbie the DiverOff Campus Residence - Bob’s old ApartmentDiverIt’s a Diver Friday! We welcome Bob’s very first diver recruit, Deb Mullen Pavis!  She spills all the T of what Bob was like as a young coach, newly married, what Bob was like as a diving coach. By chance would have it, Deb had a few injuries and ended up coaching alongside Bob. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, we’re headed to the 1980’s! We will be back Monday for another episode to share! Get those flags down, we have a diving break! Go divers!

Day 69 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Friend of Bob - Sharon WeinerParent - Hayley Masi’s ’18 MomWe welcome another Friend of Bob to the podcast, Sharon! She joins as a parent which reminds me so much of how much of a greater impact Bob reach’s has. Sharon is a gift photographer and she brought her talents to the pool deck. Let’s chat as she shares some of her favorite memories with Bob. We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Set your marks, here we go!

Day 68 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1999 - Shana Strothers Dotterer Off Campus Resdience - Junior Year - Habart Lane Senior Year - Off Rt 9Stroke - Free 200 back/IMLet’s travel back to the 1990’s and welcome Shana Class of 1999! She shares a bit about her recruiting trip, where so many of us got that feeling where we wanted Bob to be our coach. It is a fun chat and we venture into traditions. Best of all? M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-E-T-T-S MASSA MASSA CHUSETTS! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Get those flags down, we got a relay to get to!

Day 67 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2015 - Zoë JuddOff Campus Resdience - Junior Year - Hadley, Senior Year - Downtown AmherstStroke - Sprint/Mid-distance FreeWe welcome Zoë to the podcast! She grew up with the Jenkins in the same town so it was always fun to head back to the team and hear how she and the rest of the girls were doing.  We chat all about favorite memories with Bob and so many fun traditions! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Get those flags down, we got a relay to get to!

Day 66 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2005 - Lynette Sweeney BellOff Campus Resdience - White HouseStroke - 200/400 IM back middle distance and the relaysLet’s get this week off to a great start with a new pod! We welcome a wonderful guest to the show, Lynette! She graduated the year before I joined the team so there were always so many memories with my Seniors sharing fun times with Lynette. There is also a UMass fun fact for today! Take a listen! We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Get those flags down, we got a relay to get to!

Day 65 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 2007 - Mary JenkinsOff Campus Resdience - Rt 116Dives - Diver 105B on front 2 and half pikeReverses 1 and half on 1 meterFull twisting and a half on 1 meteInward 2 and half diver on 3 meterIt’s Fri-YAY! A diver Friday! We welcome a very special guest to the pod, a diver member of the team, Mary. Luckily Mary was one of the first people I met when I got to campus my Freshman year and the rest is history. She shares all about Bob including the divers with the team and how it contributed to the overall atmosphere of the team dynamic. We will be back Monday for another episode to share! Get those flags down, we got a diving break ahead!

Day 64 of Bob’s retirement and he hasn’t been able to get rid of us yet! For today’s guest we have:Class of 1992 - Tree JacobsOff Campus Resdience - Salem StStroke - Sprint We have a wild episode to share! We welcome Tree to the podcast where we chat all about the trips we made en route to away meets. I admit, this interview made me blush considering all of the shenanigans the team played during the early 1990’s. Bob has some explaining to do! But in all honesty, we use to hear about how colorful the team was back in its heyday and Tree spills all the T! Tree was a walk onto the team and mentioned she was able to swim all four strokes legally and found her place in the sprint lane. We will be back tomorrow for another episode to share! Get those flags up, we got a relay to get to!