After quitting soccer, Sophia You ’26 began swimming lessons at eight years old when her mother saw an advertisement at her local high school. She initially swam for fun, and then joined a club team in middle school. You then joined Girls Swimming and Diving as a Junior, where she now serves as one of four Co-Captains.
You’s leadership philosophy involves maintaining a positive environment while keeping discipline. Fellow Co-Captain Willow Wright ’26 commented on how You stayed spirited while being a dedicated leader.
“I see her as a very headstrong leader. She’s also very funny. She knows that there has to be spirit in the sport. She does a great job of maintaining her level of enthusiasm. When we leave Pan [Athletic Center (Pan)] at the end of the day, our hair’s freezing as we walk to commons, and at some level, there’s, ‘oh, I can’t believe we’re doing this,’ but then she does a great job of creating that team culture and camaraderie that does keep bringing people back,” said Wright.
You strives not necessarily to be the loudest, but rather to be approachable to the team. She aims to connect with each teammate and support each of them in a unique way.
“Captains, a lot of the time, are very loud people, but I make sure I’m connecting with each person and supporting them in their own way. [I do] the little things, like catching up on our days, talking to the underclassmen, and hearing about how they’re doing in their classes and managing their workloads. I try to give them tips or advice about anything I remember from those years. A lot of it is having conversations with everyone on the team, listening, [and] letting them know that I’m there for them. I might not be the loudest captain we’ve ever had, but I definitely try to support everybody on a more individual level,” said You.
You highlighted her dynamic with Co-Captain Addison Deng ’26, pointing to their different yet compatible personalities as a way to balance out the team.
“My Co-Captain Addison [Deng ’26] and I, we’re a really good pair because we balance each other out. Definitely because Addison’s a Blue Key Head, she’s very outgoing and loud, so people see us as a good captain duo, also especially because we’re really good friends. We’re best friends outside of the team too. When people see us together, they know that we’ll be there for them in both ways. We balance each other out,” said You.
Regardless of age or skill level, You is a welcoming presence to all swimmers. Nishi Amin ’28 recalled how, even before she became captain, You made her feel welcome.
“I remember last year, it was my first year, and I was in a lane with her during one of the first practices. She kicked with me at the end of practice, and she was just super kind, and asked me a lot of questions, and I felt super welcomed to the team because of her. This year, I’ve seen her help some of the new swimmers with their racing dives as well,” said Amin.
Despite spending the majority of her life swimming, You did not always enjoy the sport. She explained how she grew to have more fun with swimming since coming to Andover, pointing to her teammates as her favorite part of her journey.
“Back when I was on my club team, it was [very] competitive and difficult to find motivation to go to practice. But ever since coming to the Andover Girls Swim Team, that’s really changed for me, and I’ve just found swimming to be a lot more enjoyable. It’s important to always try our best, but I try not to put too much pressure on people. It’s important to remember that swimming is fun too,” said You.
She continued, “My favorite thing about swimming is definitely the people. When I was a freshman I always really looked up to the seniors and now that I’m a senior, I have just been on the same team with these people for so many years, so I really respect everyone. Everybody’s so sweet and we have so much fun together in the water.”
Though swimming relies mainly on solo events, Wright spoke to You’s ability to foster a strong team dynamic, built on support and enjoyment.
“At the end of the day, when it’s time to compete, you’re in your own lane, swimming for yourself, but then the points are for the team. In that type of sport, it’s really important to come up for people and cheer them on and, especially as a captain, for everybody else to know that you’re there supporting them. She does a great job of making sure that everybody’s having fun and enjoying it, especially when it might get difficult. She does a good job of making the team sport out of something that at the end of the day is a solo event on your own,” said Wright.
