Committee votes to name Tech pool after late coach

LYNN – Kimberly Staples held back tears Thursday night as the School Committee voted to name the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute swimming pool in honor of her late father, aquatic coach Peter Sawin.”My mom would be really proud. Not a day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear what a wonderful teacher and coach my father was,” Staples said.Sawin died in 2002 and people who knew him, including swimming competition official Paul Coulon, submitted a biography of Sawin’s life to committee members Thursday highlighting Sawin’s dedication to helping children share his love of swimming.Coulon said the idea of naming the Tech pool after Sawin “had been kicking around for quite awhile” before friends, associates and relatives prepared the proposal for the committee’s review.Sawin be-came varsity assistant swim coach for the city’s three high schools in 1968, and head coach for the three high school teams in 1970. During almost 20 years as head swimming coach helped establish the Northeast Swim Conference and, according to the biography, served as secretary for the conference.He coached state swimming champions and encouraged some of his swimmer students to become high school and college swim coaches.”He was a friend to all. He taught me everything I needed to know to be a good official,” said Coulon.Sawin organized the annual Lynn City Swim Championship meet and the high school boosters association to benefit the three high school swimming programs.His interest in swimming extended beyond the public schools: Sawin was a certified water safety instructor and lifeguard, according to the biography, and a head coach for local YMCA swimming teams.He led several YMCA teams to district championships and worked with YMCA’s swim teams in other cities. He was also a member of the Eastern Massachusetts Swim Officials Association and served as a swimming and diving referee.The biography notes Sawin’s induction into the Eastern Massachusetts Swim Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986 and the honor conferred on him as Northeast Conference coach of the decade.Prior to voting to name Tech’s pool after Sawin, school Superintendent Catherine Latham and committee member Donna Coppola recalled how Sawin instructed their children.”He gave my daughter a lot of pointers – she wanted to jump in like a cannonball. He was stern but wonderful with the kids – he gave them the confidence to swim,” Coppola said.Following Thursday’s vote, Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy asked Staples to inform her of a dedication date for the pool.Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].