Baldessari is SHS head swim coach

Brittany Baldessari took to the water when she was a toddler and started swimming at a competitive level when she was 7 years old. She has years of experience under her belt and was a perfect choice as Sisters High School's new head swim coach. Baldessari was hired last year, just one week before the season started, and will continue as head coach this year.

Brittany spent her early years in Sitka, Alaska. Baldessari swam competitively on club teams and concentrated her efforts on the 50-meter freestyle, and the 200 breaststroke.

When Brittany was 10, 11 and 12 years old she competed at the Junior Olympics in Sitka. Brittany told The Nugget that her first year was pretty uneventful, and the second year was one she will never forget.

"It was the first year I took first place (200-meter breaststroke) but also the first time I got disqualified," said Baldessari. "You have to touch the wall with both hands simultaneously, and at the same level, but one of my hands tapped higher than the other and that was it. I walked away with nothing,"

In 2002 the Baldessaris moved to Seaside. Brittany continued to swim on club teams and excelled at the sport for two years. In 2004, Brittany started high school and switched from club competition to the Seaside High School team. She placed seventh at state in the 100 breaststroke.

Brittany moved to Sisters her sophomore year and swam on the Sisters swim team for three years.

Baldessari came to Sisters from a competitive background where she'd practice twice a day, 3,000 to 4,000 yards per day and sometimes for four hours. Included in practice was also dry-land strength training.

Brittany commented on the difference in practices.

"Coming here was the biggest practice change for swim I'd ever had," said Baldessari. "We didn't have a pool at the high school and the closest thing was the pool at Glaze Meadow in Black Butte Ranch, and they hadn't redone it yet. It was only 12-and-a-half-yards long, half the size of a normal pool. Not only was the pool much smaller, but swimmers only swam approximately 1,000 yards per day, and there was no strength training."

Baldessari stopped high school swim practice, and in its place traveled to Redmond to practice with the Redmond Cascade Aquatic Team. Brittany still traveled to compete with the SHS swim team.

By her senior year, she'd broken the school record in the 50 freestyle. The relay team broke the school record in the 200 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay. Brittany also won state in the 100 backstroke her senior year.

By graduation (2008), Baldessari was four seconds off the qualifying time to get into the Olympic Trials. Brittany said she decided to train privately in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics instead of swimming at the collegiate level.

"The cocky teenager in me wanted all the attention, and I didn't want to share any of the glory with a team," admitted Baldessari. "And, call it karma, because in my first year of college I tore my MCL, my PCL and my meniscus."

Baldessari told The Nugget the injury was a turning point in her life.

"Up until that point my whole life revolved around swim, and winning was everything and came easy," said Brittany. "It was a humbling experience and made me realize there was more to life than to focus all my energy on swim.

"I also changed mentally," added Baldessari. "I'd concentrated on all the tools my coaches had given me over the years, the drive to win, my times and all that but had never thought about all they'd taught me about character-building. So, I refocused and really worked on that."

While living in Portland after attending Portland State University, Baldessari heard that the head swim coach position at SHS was open. Brittany applied on a Tuesday, and on Friday drove to Sisters for an interview. Baldessari was hired, moved to Sisters the following week (November 2012) and the following week the season began.

The 2012 year proved to be a success. The girls' team won the district title for the first time in school history and the boys and girls teams combined broke six school records.

Baldessari told The Nugget the team's success wasn't due to the fact they had the fastest swimmers.

"The kids learned what it really meant to be a team," said Baldessari. "They learned that it's not just physical strength but attitude, pride and self-confidence is what gives you the power to swim your best race. They learned that although you swim your races individually it is a team sport, and more than once swimmers sacrificed something that was in their best interest for the interest of the team."

Baldessari said that the team's overall goal this year is to continue to see the bigger picture, continue to compete at a high level and grow a culture within the swim program.

In addition to coaching, Baldessari works at Sisters Athletic Club. She teaches swim lessons to all ages and has put a progressive swim system into place. There are year-round lessons available for anyone six months and up. Two weeks ago, she launched a club team called SAC Swimming. Participants are required to pass six levels of classes before they can be a part of the club team. Baldessari stated that swimmers enter with race experience and she hopes it will help swimmers prepare for competition at the high school level.