Badgerland

The State: Wisconsin to me is like that friendly neighbor you ask to borrow eggs from. Good people, hard working, and at times a bit quirky. I had a Sconnie (Wisconsin resident) as a roommate in college for two years and here's what you need to know. Drinking fountains are known as Bubblers. The story goes that the original drinking fountain was produced by a company called Bubbler, so it stuck. Another interesting one is the clicker, commonly known as the tv remote control. Not sure the origin behind clicker but it's Wisconsin, a bit quirky. The final need-to-know fact is that all Sconnies are they all hold up their hand to show you where they are from in Wisconsin as your hand (thumb out) looks like the state. I don't quite see it but they will all convince you it's the only way to orient. As my drive neared the end I stopped at Culver's for a butter burger and cheese curds to get the full experience. An absolute MUST when rolling though America's Dairyland. 

The City: Madison is the first vibrant city I encountered as I traveled East. With about 280,000 people it was clear when I rolled in that people spread out by going up as opposed to out across the farmland I'm used to. I truly had no clue that the University is in the heart of downtown. Parking on a college campus is always a challenge-a topic for another time- but I did get a street spot just outside the Soderholm Aquatics Center.

The Facility: The Soderholm Aquatics Center is new, Functional, and Beautiful. Seriously this place gives you that sense of home from the first step inside. Seating is only on 1 side of the facility and the diver dryland is on the top spacious concrete where the swim team also has ample space to warm up. One unique feature that I could see some people not enjoying is the location of the locker rooms. To enter the pool from the locker rooms, you have to walk across the far end of the pool. Overlooking everything, and it finishes at the already mentioned dryland/warm up area. I can't tell you how much I LOVE this layout. Sure, it might take you an extra minute to get on deck as an athlete, but you also get to take in this pool and get your mind and excitement up as you prepare for the workout. You get to dive here, you get to enjoy this beautiful place, soak it in and admire before the grind starts. It would be a privilege to call this place home. The deck itself has ample space on each side of the pools. A full tower system, and two of each 1m and 3m boards on concrete frame the towers.

The Coach: Yahya Radman is the man at the helm and is building a fantastic all-encompassing program. During the NCAA season, Yahya (like many diving coaches) has a ridiculously busy schedule. College divers in the morning, a mid morning break to breathe and prepare, College divers again in the afternoon, Club divers in the evenings. I'm quite confident Yahya sees both AM and PM 5s, 6s, and 7s on the clock while coaching at the pool. Yahya has a way of always asking excellent probing questions. It's what makes him a truly great coach and person. By asking in depth questions he can read people very well and get to know a person quickly at a deeper than surface level. In my time knowing him I have received a "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" a couple times and honestly answered it differently as my life and goals have changed recently. My favorite part of Yahya is the follow up and desire to learn more and discuss it. You could be struggling with a dive or a business decision and he's constantly trying to gain more information to help add value to the conversation and ultimately help that person come to a solution.

Another great quality Yahya has is his sense of humor. Fun playful jabs here n there to keep the mood light are so refreshing to me. Humor is hard to convey and everyone's flavor is different but when the sarcasm runs high I'm a huge fan. It's free flowing and very fun on the Badger pool deck. You also have to understand that with humor there is an underlying love for the athletes and drive to continually get better. When a comment like "hey it works a little better when you get into a tight tuck..." happens, both the coach and athlete know the goals they have. The reminder may receive an eye roll, but it's always in good fun. When I visited, it was right at the beginning of meets starting so the athletes were just starting to spin a little more. Before one of the dives Yahya looks at me and says "Rooney I'm guessing they leave this one short". Of course he was right which prompted a couple fist pumps and good laughs, followed by an in depth correction to his athlete who made the dive much better on attempt two.

The Culture: Work hard, Play hard. The culture of any team is really an extension of the coach. I see this team and the future of this program flourishing, while maintaining a fun atmosphere. Diving is hard. The movements are unnatural to our bodies, and to be truly great, there's always room for refinement. It takes work. With the constant work, on top of school, relationships, and other commitments, it's easy to get discouraged. The fun and humor can pull us out of the pit of endless grind, reminding us why we love this sport in the first place. I'm excited to see this program progress, and any diver interested in the University of Wisconsin-Madison would be lucky to dive at an excellent program. As they say in Badgerland: ON, WISCONSIN!