Diving coach Alicia Gorman named Director of Aquatics
On Sept. 1, head diving coach Alicia Gorman will begin her time as Director of Aquatics and Facility Manager.
In her own words, Gorman is “responsible for all activities that happen within our aquatics facility at the Cohon University Center” in her new role as aquatics director. This includes scheduling classes and practices for various teams that use the pool as their main athletics facility, as well as supervising lifeguards.
Gorman is, for the most part, happy with what the pool currently has to offer, saying that she is “looking forward to continuing the excellent programming that we have been able to offer to our campus community.”
With new upgrades to the pool, Gorman is “excited to see what programming we will be able to expand. I will be working with Sara Gaunter, Assistant Director of Athletics, and Pattye Stragar, Fitness Operations Manager, to expand our offerings in the aquatics arena.” Gorman will also begin teaching fitness classes in Spring 2016.
Her position as Aquatics Director will not prevent her from continuing as head diving coach, however. She will retain that position in the coming year.
As the diving coach, Gorman believes that “participating in collegiate athletics should fully enhance each student athlete’s college experience.”
She says she finds coaching to be collaborative. She works with the coaches to help drive the team to its goals as well as students. Gorman said that it is her job to teach students the value of collegiate sportsmanship by “meet[ing] them where they are academically, athletically, and socially to help them fulfill all of their goals.”
Some of the practices themselves will be moved to morning to accommodate Gorman’s new position as aquatics director, but the rigor of the practices will not change, featuring 5–6 days a week of practices and two days a week of weights. In order to get nearly equal time training on both diving boards, Gorman has divers alternate each day between the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.
According to the Carnegie Mellon Athletics Department, Gorman will also open the athletics facilities in the Jared L. Cohon University Center and will manage the fitness center that will be opening in May.