West Ashley High School freshman Adam Bauer is making an impact on the Varsity Swim Team this year. “He chooses to push himself in every practice and he seeks out guidance from the coaches on how to improve,” says Assistant Swim Coach Mary Anne Mouthaan. These are just some of the reasons why his coaches nominated him to be the Athlete of the Week. Bauer was proud of this achievement. “Out of everybody, I was chosen!” says Bauer.
During practice, Bauer always tries to swim with the older, faster swimmers who challenge him. “[I] push myself at practice by going on harder intervals on the clock [and] doing what other kids don’t,” says Bauer. Other than pushing himself to get better, Bauer makes sure he puts the team first by doing as much as he can, whether it’s cheering on his teammates or picking up after practice.
In a predominantly individual sport, Bauer’s compassion for and appreciation of his teammates makes him stand out. “He steadfastly offers leadership, and often anticipates the needs of the team,” says Mouthaan. Considering he has three more years on the team, it will be fun watching Bauer develop as a swimmer and as a team leader.
At the last meet against swimmers from Summerville, James Island, Stratford, and Charleston Charter, Bauer was a heat winner. The West Ashley High Boys Team also took home a plaque. “That was really cool,” says Bauer about his team earning the recognition. He competed in the 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle relay, and in the 400-meter freestyle relay.
Bauer credits his coaches, teammates, and sister for motivating him to be as good as he can every single day. His sister, Haley, who is also a member of the WAHS Varsity Swim Team, is actually the one who convinced Bauer to start swimming. “My sister really wanted me to do it,” says Bauer. “It just gave me something to do during the summer, so I wasn’t sitting inside all day.”
Now, almost a full decade later, Bauer is still swimming and loving it. His dedication to swimming doesn’t stop him from prioritizing school. “I try to put school first, then swimming,” says Bauer. When he isn’t worrying about school or his next swim meet, Bauer likes to be with his friends. Whether he and his friends are fishing or at Young Life, Bauer likes keeping himself busy; he also enjoys being outside.
Since Bauer just started high school, he hasn’t quite determined what career path he plans to pursue; however, he does have a general idea of subject areas that interest him. “I like learning about the body, like the heart and the brain,” says Bauer. “And I like building.” Consequently, he is considering pursuing something in the medical field or in engineering. That is why he is planning to take many of the Career & Technology Education (CTE) classes in Health Science and Engineering that West Ashley High offers.
For only being a freshman, Bauer is extremely wise. He explained what he does to overcome some of the challenges he faces in swimming: “Just suck it up because there’s nothing you can do about it,” he says. This advice, although geared toward swimming, can undoubtedly be applied to almost any situation.
