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Get To Know Liberty University's Jake Shellenberger

by Josh Huger (MrUtopia)

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Created August 17th, 2010 07:01:54 AM

Modified August 17th, 2010 07:01:54 AM

This interview is with Liberty University’s Jake Shellenberger. Coach Shellenberger, who brings a large amount of experience and knowledge to the program, has spent the past year out in Lynchburg, Virginia gearing up for what will be Liberty’s first season.

In this SwimUtopia interview we learn about the three things that brought Jake to Liberty and what his outlook is for this season.

Let’s get started!

What school do you coach for?
I coach at Liberty University, located in beautiful Lynchburg,Virginia.  

What made you choose to take the Head Coaching position at Liberty?
Three things moved me to start this new program, and each shared equally in motivating me to come to Lynchburg. In no particular order –

A. I wanted to be a head coach again. I started out my college coaching career as the head coach at Millersville University, a Division II school in Lancaster, Pa. After spending three years as an assistant at Penn State, I felt I was ready to join the head coaching ranks once again.

B. I wanted to help Liberty develop into a big-time, top-25 athletics department. The goal here is growth – for the university, and for the athletics department as a whole. We want to be playing for national championships in all sports, and I believe I can help Liberty achieve that goal. 

C. I am a Christian, and the fact that Liberty is the world’s largest distinctly Christian university fit perfectly with my beliefs. The chance to help these young women develop into confident, successful and hard-working adults grounded in faith is something I am humbled and honored to be a part of.

What do you expect from Liberty this upcoming season?
The most important things we do this year will not happen in the pool. Starting a brand new program is unique in that you can set the tone and the culture right away, and that culture will determine the outcome of future success. I am more than willing to sacrifice short-term points for a long-term gain. Establishing a culture of dedication and commitment, the kind needed to achieve second swims at Olympic Trials and NCAA’s, will be of the highest importance. From a conference standpoint, I expect us to finish in the top eight out of 13 teams this year.

How many swimmers do you have on the roster for this upcoming season?
We have 20 student-athletes for the 2010-2011 school year.

What other teams or schools did you coach at before Liberty?
I started out my collegiate coaching career as the head coach at Millersville University, and then spent three years as the sprint coach at Penn State. I arrived here at Liberty a year ago and spent that first year recruiting in preparation for our first varsity season this fall. 

What would you say your biggest accomplishment has been in coaching?
Coaching Pat Schirk to win the 2008 NCAA title in the 200 backstroke would be the one that stands out the most.

Is there any particular moment that stands out in your mind from coaching?
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer at the University of Arizona for a summer while still on staff at Penn State. It was one of the best experiences of my life and it was a dream come true for a young sprint coach. I cannot state enough the importance of older mentors for young coaches, and I will forever be in debt to the Arizona staff for allowing me the opportunity to join them on deck. 

What motivates you as a coach?
Quite a few things motivate me to coach. For the athletes – I want to see them succeed and see them achieve their goals and dreams. I want to see them develop over four years into world class people, not just athletes. For myself, I love the challenge of trying to get kids faster. How can we train better? How can we motivate better? I love the learning and the growth involved – the pool won’t get shorter, so how do we get faster?  I love to win, and I love coaching athletes to be faster.

What do you do to motivate your swimmers?
I wear a lot of different hats with regards to motivating my athletes. Bill Dorenkott once said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Now obviously, that is not his originally, but he taught me how that relates to swimming fast. I try to have as many tools on my belt at all times as I can. Sometimes I’m a cheerleader, other times I’m a disciplinarian. I’ll get loud if I have to, but I’ll get eye-level to the athlete and ask nicely if I know that will get them to go faster. 
The trick is knowing your athletes and what makes them tick. What works with some will not work with others. You have to continuously reinvent yourself, as I believe the body and mind become stagnant to motivational inertia.

Do you have any personal traditions before the start of a swim meet?
I don’t have any personal traditions before a meet. Although I love tradition and history, I’m not superstitious.

What caused you to go into coaching?
I had the opportunity to coach a summer league swim team in my hometown after my freshman year of college, and realized the first day of practice that I loved to coach.

Did you swim in college?
I swam at Shippensburg University, a small Division II school in south central Pennsylvania.

Please give your personal swimming history.
I started in a summer league at 7, and started club swimming in the winter when I was 12.  I never swam with a year-round club though, as I split time between swimming, baseball, and football in high school, and then went on to swim in college.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?
I use a fountain pen as an everyday writer. I studied history in college and love the historical significance of the fountain pen. I enjoy having to refill the pen with a bottle of ink and I love corresponding with friends and family. I email so much as a coach that getting away from the technology and putting pen to paper has become something of a vacation for me and a time I look forward to.