Among swimmers at South, John Fodell’s name is well known as the head coach of the boys’ and the girls’ swim team; however, most students might not recognize the name. Recently, John Fodell won the girls’ division two (D2) swimming coach of the year award. Many swimmers are unsurprised and extremely proud of John Fodell due to the hard work he puts into South swim.
The D2 girls swimming coach of the year award is given out through a selective process. It is mainly awarded due to the quality of coaching observed by the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (MISCA) and the performance of the swimmers in large events like states. John Fodell coached the girls’ swim team to win second place in the 2024 state swim meet.
“It is decided by the coaches in MISCA as members vote on it,” John Fodell said. “So across the state, once you’re nominated, they take the people, and they have to vote.”
Lots of hard work and effort go into being a head coach, especially one who can guide his swimmers into performing as well as the girls did. Bill Thompson, the assistant head coach for the boys’ and girls’ swim team, shares some of the elements John Fodell has and the work he does for the swim team.
“The workouts that he provides the swimmers, and knowing the right thing to say to each individual at the right time, is important, because it’s not always the same thing to the same person every time,” Thompson said. “He does so much outside the pool deck that people don’t realize. Just organizing the team, providing anything and everything for the team to the point we get to the state meet.”
To win such an award, many years of training and coaching are needed. John Fodell certainly has a large list of coaching experience in various places before becoming the head coach at South, and leading the swim teams to success.
“I swam for the Grosse Pointe Shore Sharks, growing up. I swam a little bit for Pointe Aquatics as well. I started coaching at the Shores, and I swam in high school for South, then swam in college,”John Fodell said. “I had a passion for the sport. I kind of started with the Grosse Pointe Gators as a small team, and that grew into something, and then took over South, and it’s just slowly grown.”
Being the incredible coach John Fodell is, he has gained many supporters and swimmers over time. The son of John Fodell and a swimmer at South, Joseph Fodell ’28, continues to look up and provide support for John Fodell.
“I’m proud of him. I think it’s great that he won it,” Joseph Fodell said. “I think it’s very deserving that he worked with the hard work he put into the team. I think it’s well deserved.”
The swimming program at South would not be the same without John Fodell, and they’re excited to see what he continues to accomplish. He will continue to fuel future generations of swimmers at South.
“The experience of the team, the experience of the journey, and the experience of training every day. Just knowing how pure swimming is for me, starting it as a young person all the way through college,” John Fodell said. “Letting me show other people that journey, I think that’s why I like swimming so much.”
