Communication, dedication, and having fun are just a few of the ways to describe the leadership of Girls Swimming and Diving Co-Captain Izzy An ’24. Crediting her leadership to a combination of role models and teammates, An recognizes that the best way to lead is by acknowledging that not all methods work for everyone.
“As a leader, self-awareness is a key value I strive to embody. It’s really important how I approach my peers and the team as a whole. I avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach because I recognize the importance of adapting to each person and situation. This flexibility in my approach is something I will always carry with me. My leadership skills have been adopted by those around me, kind of creating a collage of leaders and role models from my past and present. I aim to embody the positive qualities of people I admire and spread their values to the team,” said An.
Despite missing her freshman year due to Covid-19, An noted that she was able to find a tight-knit community within Girls Swimming and Diving and has high aspirations, hoping to lead her team to a victory at the New England Championships to end the season. An highlighted the value of having a strong team dynamic, especially while competing in such a mentally and physically challenging sport.
An said, “Having the team environment at Andover for the past three years has given me something to look forward to that’s bigger than just myself, especially since I missed freshman year due to Covid[-19]. This sport is tough; it demands a lot mentally and emotionally because of its nature. Spending hours training each week just to improve by a second or even a millisecond can be challenging on an individual level. Having the support of a team makes those tough practices easier, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”
According to Ariana Zhao ’25, An consistently demonstrates an impressive work ethic, readily showing up to improve every day. Zhao also spoke on how the team uses An’s hard work as motivation.
Zhao said “Izzy is a very hardworking athlete. She shows up every day ready to work regardless of circumstances. It’s inspiring how committed she is to improving and just her hard work too. She’s super motivating for the rest of the team and gets everyone to follow in her footsteps.”
Caroline Romano ’26 highlighted the energy and leadership An contributes to the team. Romano specifically mentioned how An was able to help her acclimate to the team.
Romano said, “Izzy is a fun teammate to be around and she is also a great leader. She is encouraging and also helpful when explaining sets. Her ability to communicate is also helpful and she really helped me, as a freshman last year, feel like a part of the team.”
This season, when new Head Coach Hilary Kavanagh stepped in, An enabled the team to successfully transition by prioritizing communication. Romano mentioned that An was specifically able to help her team adjust to the new leadership by iterating the idea of only focusing on the things they can control as swimmers.
Romano said, “Izzy is really good with communication. She brought our concerns up to the coach and helped bridge the communication gap. She kept reminding us that kinks were being worked out and that we should control what we can control by getting into the water and doing our part. She assured us that everything would fall into line which helped to make the transition seamless.”
Zhao expressed how An is always finding fun and innovative ways to build team chemistry. She noted how An strives for a strong community of swimmers in and out of the pool.
“Izzy does a lot of things to create a strong team dynamic. We do fun things like ‘psyches,’ where we get dressed up in a theme before meets. That provides an opportunity to further bond with teammates outside of the pool and also get excited for a meet beforehand. We do a lot of team dinners as well. When it comes to the racing, she makes sure to do a quick cheer together to clear our heads, focus, and get us excited,” said Zhao
In a sport where statistics and small details matter, An highlighted the importance of working on goals that are less material in both swimming and her role as Co-Captain. She again emphasized how the teachings of her idols shaped her leadership style.
“I aim to make my teammates better, make myself better, and understand that results will come without fixating on them. This year, one of my personal goals is to focus on what I like to call the immeasurable in everything I do, especially in swimming and my leadership role. Being a leader, both in and outside of swimming, I strive to embody the values I admire in the people I’ve grown up with as role models. It’s been one of the biggest goals for me,” said An.
