Rams Relief: Unchartered Waters

In a sport such as swimming, there is a strong bond between the past and present.

Maddie Ward knows it is real. There is a strong connection between people who have toiled in the same manner, lived the same type of hectic schedule and understand a routine few ever do.

They've walked a mile in their shoes. Actually, swam 4,000-yards in their snorkel and fins.

"Not many people can understand what a Division I athlete goes through, let alone a Division I swimmer," said Ward, a Mountain West champion in the 200-yard breaststroke. "Our schedules are insane. We're usually the only ones here during winter break, and it gets pretty sad and lonely sometimes, but I think that aspect of it really helps us be able to connect with them, and them connect with us on a deeper level.

"Who knows better than people who have gone through it before, too? I think that's pretty special, and we get to meet with them at times, too. Some of them show up to the alumni meets, and that's pretty cool to interact with them and swim with them a little bit."

Ward knows much of the populous which makes up Ram Splash are former letter winners, and she knows they are the biggest supporters of the current roster. The group has been steadfast in their support, and it has only grown.

Head coach Christopher Woodard counts on Ram Splash and the donations they provide to continue to move the program forward. Recently, that generosity has helped improve the dryland room, one other teams are jealous of, and Woodard hopes future donations will add rigging and harnesses for the divers to further their training.

It has upgraded technology used in training and running meets, team development and bonding projects and nutritional and mental-development programs.

"The things that are most pressing to us, first and foremost, the donations for us underwrite a program that's been here for a generation serving women," Woodard said. "It's allowing us to continue that, to recruit, to travel as a Division I institution, too.

"They're huge. John's donors were always incredibly loyal and generous, and with the culmination of Ram Splash, I think we now have a really tight network. I hear from people from different generations, and their giving levels overall have increased. They've allowed us to do a multitude of things with the program we didn't have in the decades before."

In a very unprecedented time in all of our lives, Colorado State Athletics and the Rams Club are asking all of our valued supporters to donate or make a gift which will have a life-altering impact on our student-athletes. The financial crisis is real for everyone, yet our primary goal remains to create the greatest experience for our student-athletes. Your gifts will help lessen the impact they feel as they pursue their athletic and educational goals.

Woodard said the flow of the sport is leading to more racing, and with that in mind, he'd like to have his team in tech suits more often. As swimmers know, those come at a cost. But they are also becoming necessary in this day and age.

Ward looks at what Ram Splash has already provided in her time which has made a huge difference in her results as a school-record holder. She doesn't take those gains for granted, nor do her teammates.

"I remember one of the specific things they gave us was a new camera system. Our old one was really bad," she said. "In swimming, you're just staring at a black line all day, so to be able to look up at a screen and really see your technique and really be able to replay that and learn from it really helps. Just to even have, not the donations, but the support behind us, that helps makes a big impact on our team for the swimmers and the divers. That support and that network, every little bit helps, especially in a sport like swimming."

Preparing for a season in a pandemic is unchartered waters, and like his swimmers and divers, Woodard isn't sure what to expect next. He has always been able to count on Ram Splash to help create a better collegiate experience for his student-athletes, and he's already seen it continue.

With the uncertainty ahead for everybody, he is hoping Ram Splash will continue to help him grow the program at Colorado State.

"I've had a couple of donations come in the past couple of weeks, and it's always a huge, huge shot in the arm," he said. "I couldn't be more grateful, and it just makes me happy to see those people still engaged and it still means something for them. Especially now, in the middle of this, we're going to need every dime."

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Maddie Ward

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Colorado State University Athletics