By Andy Tabor
Many athletes competing at the varsity level during high school are exceptionally talented people. For freshman Hayden Henry, having a families swimming legacy to live up to is a task that he appears ready for.
Henry is one of the top swimmers for the Coppell swim team this season. Henry is coached by his father at Coppell and at his club team in Grapevine, ensuring that Coach Patrick Henry can instill his own expertise in his son. The same expertise helped Henry win Texas Coach of the Year twice.
“I have been Hayden’s coach his whole life,” Coach Henry said. “Although it may not be a piece of cake all the time, it can be very rewarding.”
Senior Caitlin Matheny has watched Coach Henry and Hayden Henry interact as a father son team this season, from her position as team manager.
“Coach Henry really inspires Hayden to do his best.” Matheny said. “Being Hayden’s club coach also helps with Hayden’s development as a swimmer.”
Henry’s father competitively swam at Texas A&M, while his mother swam at the University of Texas, giving young Henry a very talented gene pool if you will. Henry has always been a good swimmer in competition but now with double the training, he has begun to really mature as a top swimmer.
“Now with his physical size and mental maturity, he is really swimming at a high level,” Coach Henry said. “He loves to practice and with swimming, good training is crucial for fast times.”
Henry competes in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard medley relay, and the 400-yard freestyle relay but can competitively compete in any race that the Cowboys may need him in. Henry practices with the high school team in the morning and again with his club team after school.
In swimming, training and working out are vital keys to success in the pool.
“You can swim as hard as you want but if you aren’t trying then you aren’t getting better,” Hayden Henry said. “Ever since I was first put in the pool by my parents I have always wanted to do it.”
Being able to get two work outs a day instead of just one, is a definite advantage on the competition he faces in high school meets. In a sport like swimming, it is important for the athlete to spend as much time in the water as possible to further adapt their bodies to the natural stress water puts on them.
“Swimming is an aerobic sport and the more time spent in the environment the more adaptation the swimmer can gain,” Coach Henry said. “In the pool you are put in different positions and your body is put through different stresses.”
With Henry to help lead the charge for the Cowboys, the swim team may have a very successful team season. Things are looking up for the team as senior Chris Bigalow broke the 100-yard breast stroke school record recently in a meet in Addison.
“For the team I would like for us to win our district.” Hayden Henry said. “To have people place in the finals of regionals is a good goal for our team right now.”
Even if the team isn’t able to secure a spot deep in the playoffs, there is still hope for Henry as he hopefully can garner a time fast enough to be picked up for state. However swimming is difficult to predict, with many separate races and times that could be separated by mere hundredths of a second.
“Predicting how other swimmers will do and how Hayden will race is impossible,” Coach Henry said. “We just have to pick a time that can be achieved and that hopefully will get picked up for state when things are all said and done.”
As Henry embarks on a journey to the top of the Texas swimming ladder, he still is only a freshman, which means he still has three solid years of training to become a state champion.
