Thomas Roark enters the 2024 – 2025 school year as the new head coach for the Trinity varsity swim team. Roark’s passion for swimming began at the age of five and has always had big aspirations when it came to his swimming career. At the age of 12, Roark made his first national cut which ultimately led him to pursue his swimming career.
In 2016 and 2017 Roark was the captain for his school swimming team. This role was primarily reserved for seniors, but Roark was given the honor in his junior year and continued his captainship throughout the rest of his high school career. Leadership positions and teamwork were often challenging for Roark, but this role changed his life.
“It helped me realize that there are people that are going to have struggles, but as a leader, you have to uplift everybody and serve them in their best way,” Roark said.
The following year Roark joined the Louisiana State University (LSU) swim team as a 10-time state champion. Roark had achieved the goal that he made when he was 12 years old. After Roark wrapped up his swimming career at LSU, he still felt that he had more to give to the sport.
“As I grew and got older, I wanted to start to get back to the sport that gave me so much, and that’s what got me into coaching,” Roark said. “I am giving back to the next generation, and showing them how amazing [swimming] is.”
Roark began his coaching career at Crawfish Aquatics in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for 10 months, followed by his employment at Blue Tide Aquatics in Houston, Texas for nearly two years. Roark later moved to Florida, where he became the assistant coach for the Trinity swim team under Coach Steve Lazaraton.
The swim team practices alongside the diving team coached by Kristy Nave, a First Team All-American and diver for Duke University. Nave has worked with Roark for the past year and she is excited to see his growth throughout the swim season.
“The assistant coach helps the head coach,” Nave said. “[Roark] organized the things behind the scenes for the team, so he was prepared to be the head coach. It was a really good transition up for him.”
As the new head swimming coach, Roark is determined to teach his team about accountability and the importance of staying focused, in order to help them accomplish their final goal of winning districts. Roark also aims to set up his swimmers for success in and out of the pool.
“My ultimate goal is to develop better people,” Roark said. “You are accountable to your teammates, your teachers, your coaches, and your parents, and if you’re not giving your best, you can’t ask someone else to do their best.”
Roark’s coaching style will make an impact on his athletes. This season he plans to guide his swimmers on what it means to be a hard worker, but also on technique that will help the Trinity Prep swim team win the districts.
“I want the best out of [the team],” Roark said. “Holding the swimmers to their team’s expectations and staying focused on the present, not worrying about what was in the past, but rather looking forward to the present and future.”
