Tech swimming pool named for Peter Sawin

LYNN – Peter Sawin’s coaching and swimming tree has branches that extend to Lynn and beyond.And Sunday, many of those former disciples who, themselves, have gone onto become successful coaches, gathered at Lynn Tech to honor Sawin by naming the swimming pool, and its surrounding environs, after him.Henceforth, the part of the building that houses the Tech pool will be known as The Peter A. Sawin Natatorium.”A lot of people,” joked Charlie Rowe, Tech’s assistant swimming coach who first swam for Sawin as a student at Classical, “have rushed to Google to look up what natatorium means. It’s a pool. Or, more specifically, it’s the building that houses the pool.”Sawin – known as the “King of Lynn swimming” – established the Lynn swimming program, nurtured it, and founded the Lynn City Swim Meet, which is run every February.Rowe, Denise Silva (Classical) Marianne Duncan (formerly of English), Brad Tilly (Tech’s head coach) and Paul Coulon (who said Sawin taught him how to be an official) headed the committee and spoke at Sunday’s dedication.”He was all about having fun,” said Tilly, “but he was that way to educate kid. He was one of the most entertaining educators I’ve ever encountered.”All of the aforementioned speakers either swam for, coached with, or learned from Sawin, two died 10 years ago.”He welcomed everybody,” said Silva. “He was just as proud as the first place finisher as he was the swimmer to struggles to finish.”Duncan, who, along with all her siblings, swam for Sawin, said “he made everyone feel important, and he celebrated all our achievement as important.”Also on hand were his two children, Scott Sawin and Kim Staples.”The most important people in his life were my mother and us,” said Staples, “but after that, it was swimming.”The plaque bearing Sawin’s name and likeness will be permanently displayed in the Lynn Tech gymnasium lobby.Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].