Ball State Alumnus Magazine, Just Keep Swimming

For the co-head coaches of Ball State's recently combined swimming and diving team, life has always revolved around the pool. Laura Seibold-Caudill and Bob Thomas, the coaches with the most wins in the history of women's and men's swimming and diving at Ball State, have turned their first loves into the perfect jobs.

For both coaches the attraction to the sport began with encouragement from their parents. Seibold-Caudill's father first introduced her to the joys of the water. Thomas learned from his mother to enjoy a pastime that would become a life-long passion.

Though Thomas' family moved frequently because of his father's military career, he says he doesn't remember not knowing how to swim. "We started at a young age and stayed with it," he says, adding that his two brothers and sister also participated.

Thomas is a member of an outstanding athletic family. His mother, the former Helen Perry, set a national 100-backstroke record and was an honorary member of the 1940 Olympic team. His sister Kathleen qualified for the 1968 Olympics as an alternate in the 400 individual medley. His brother Rick was an NCAA All-American at Indiana University in the 200-free. In addition, Thomas' father Al played football for a Northwestern team that reached the 1949 Rose Bowl.

After 27 years at Ball State, Thomas still feels his father's influence. "The military is very similar to coaching," Thomas says. "I always respected what he was able to accomplish with the cadets he worked with. It made me very proud of him. So much of what I've tried to do at Ball State is to make him proud of what I'm doing."

Seibold-Caudill comes from a long line of swimming successes. Her parents were both swimmers at Michigan State. Her father placed second in the U.S. National Championships and was an NCAA All-American. Her uncles, Paul and Dave Seibold, were NCAA All-Americans. Dave also was a U.S. National Champion.

Seibold-Caudill remembers swimming as being a large part of her childhood. Family vacations were spent in Florida. "We always had to find a motel that had a pool," she says. "Our vacations were always by the beach and centered around swimming."

As a young girl, she also remembers her father creating a pool in the back yard of their home outside of Detroit.

"It wasn't the glorified pools you see now," she says. "He dug out the pool and put in the liner himself." The pool was her training ground, and her father was her teacher. "I learned all the mechanics of swimming with him," she says. "But it was always done in an enjoyable manner. He has pictures of me swimming when I was
about a year old."

Seibold-Caudill would carry on the family tradition at Michigan State as an All-American diver who would also qualify for the Olympic trials. Both Thomas and Seibold-Caudill have passed their love of swimming to their children, who are establishing Ball State family traditions. Seibold-Caudill's third son, Richie, is a senior member of the swimming team. Thomas' youngest daughter, Abby, serves as manager. His oldest daughter, Lisa, was also the manager during her two years at Ball State.

Seibold-Caudill says she was excited that her son decided to attend Ball State. "I was even happier that he chose to swim here," she adds. "I couldn't have found a better coach for him than Bob."

Although she was excited for Richie's future college swimming career, she tried to separate coaching from parenting. "I think it's best that way," she says. "Richie has a huge respect for Bob, and that's something I want to maintain. I don't want a parental influence to ruin that."

Thomas, meanwhile, says he works well with his daughter, but he doesn't pressure her to share information about the athletes. "With Abby there, there's a different connection with the team. I am her dad and she's around all the swimmers, but she's been able to keep the two separated," he says. "She doesn't tell me everything she
sees or hears, and I respect that."

In addition to their children, Thomas and Seibold-Caudill are responsible for 51 other student athletes. They encourage the students to learn from their experiences in the pool. Seibold-Caudill says her goal is to teach her swimmers and divers something that will positively affect the rest of their lives. "I hope their experiences here have improved their quality of life and helped make them better people," she says.

Thomas hopes his athletes learn responsibility. "It's great to win. It's great to be the best at what you're doing. But that's only part of your accomplishments," he says. "Your actions speak much louder than your words."

After more than 40 years spent in a chlorine-drenched world, neither Seibold-Caudill nor Thomas have intentions of retiring. Seibold-Caudill says she can't envision a life without early morning practices. "I can't imagine what I would do everyday.

Maybe when I turn 60, I'll start thinking about it." Thomas agrees. "To me, this sure beats work. I haven't gotten enough of it yet."