When Boys Swim & Dive Co-Captain Max Fang ’22’s parents signed him up for swimming, they joked that once he learned how to swim, he could teach them how to swim. At the time, Fang saw swimming as just another extracurricular activity. However, over time, swimming has become much more than that for Fang.
The team has provided a sense of camaraderie for Fang that has developed throughout the season. He explained that this team dynamic was new to him compared to club swimming.
“I would say training with the team is really fun. The team atmosphere, being a tighter group than in club swimming, does also make it much more enjoyable. Of course I have friends in club swimming, but just the team aspect was something that made swimming kind of new to me in high school,” said Fang.
As a leader on the team, Fang strives to show his teammates how to act by being disciplined in the pool.
“I try to lead by example most of the time. So, trying to be disciplined, and just showing through my actions what to do during certain moments,” said Fang.
According to Co-Captain Ralph Lam ’22, Fang’s ability to keep his teammates focused and his keen sense of the team’s progress makes him a strong leader. He has also been one that teammates can count on, including his fellow Co-Captains.
Lam said, “Max has always been a great support system to me. He is always keeping track of where we are as a team. I can always go to Max whenever I need some advice about keeping everyone in check, or keeping everyone focused… If I’m a rock to the team, Max has been my rock. He has always been a very steadfast supporter.”
Fang keeps the team together with his kindness and organization regarding the team’s progress, according to Raphael Sibuet ’24,
“He is an extremely kind and an organized leader. He always knows when to leave for an interval and how many more reps we have left,” Sibuet wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
According to Fang, even though the season did not begin how the team wanted, he is confident that Andover will perform to it’s best potential at the end of the season.
“Obviously, it’s not the season that we wanted. It was like a week when we came back where we couldn’t train because of isolation and quarantining,” said Fang, “But I’d say that overall, we’ve put in a lot of work and I think Easterns will be a good meet.”
