Head swim and dive coaches Emily and Matthew Poppe coach persistence and passion to Bismarck high’s female athletes. With an average of 10 years experience, both siblings provide their expertise to the Demons swim and dive team. The Poppe’s are coaching with the goal of establishing more than just success within their program.
Expanding their qualifications, both coaches have been past competitive multi-sport athletes. Being massively involved in sports taught the Poppes the importance of teamwork. Maintaining positive relationships with teammates as a competitor later had a large impact on how the Poppe’s would approach coaching.
“Finding a team that valued my individual success just as much as the whole team’s success showed me that sports can be so much fun when everyone is truly working together,” co-head coach Emily Poppe said.
Swimming means more than just competition to Emily and Matthew. Pursuing coaching created a different type of thrill inside the water. They take advantage of sharing their personal challenges while still giving new challenges to the girls everyday.
A confidence-driven sport like swimming can be mentally challenging for youths. A truly passionate athlete tends to be head-strong; with that, creating personal expectations can turn into something draining rather than a reachable goal.
“In my teenage years, especially as I became ‘really good’ at swimming, I think the mental aspects of competition became the biggest challenge,” co-head coach Matthew Poppe said “Managing my own expectations for myself, and trying to maintain a healthy mindset about what success really meant to me, all while dealing with the anxieties of high school life seemed like a big hill to climb when I was an athlete.”
Matthew Poppe specifically, has dealt with his own stubborn and determined mentality. He values being mentally tough but also convincing the girls to believe in themselves.
“I think the hardest part is empathizing while trying to convince athletes not to self-doubt,” Matthew said.
Lacking mental toughness is not the only thing that can hold an athlete back, but also the situational challenges. Balancing grades and athletic performances has potential to become overwhelming. The Poppes encourage the possibility to do great things even when under pressure.
“Juggling school with swimming was challenging, but it taught me a lot about a healthy work and life balance,” Emily said.
Since the Poppe’s gained interest in swimming at a young age, their ability to be quality coaches deepens. Their shared love for the sport deepens their connection and makes it easier to be professional in the pool. This head-coach duo creates a perfect alignment of shared dedication and goals.
“What Emily and I have that I haven’t found anywhere else is a perfect alignment of ideals for how we think our athletes should feel about this sport, and really, how they should approach their lives in general,” Matthew said.
Athletes competing in the Poppe’s program are sure to learn and gain more than just swimming lessons. Swimming is perceived by the siblings as a place of comfort. They have treated the sport as a place of constant opportunity and will continue to coach that idea to their current and future competitors.
“Swimming was always just the right thing for me,” Matthew said “It’s where I truly belonged.”
