1. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009PAGE 2 ANDERSONIAN/Opinion WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009PAGE 2 ANDERSONIAN/OpinionPAGE 8 ANDERSONIAN / SPORTS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
BY LINDSAY STONE
SPORTS WRITER
If you haven’t heard of the AU men’s
and women’s swim teams, that’s probably
because, prior to this year, it didn’t exist.
“I am so excited for the potential of this
team and what the future holds for the pro-
gram,” Head Coach Conner Snare stated.
His passion for the sport started at a young
age and evolved as he became a four-year
varsity swimmer at Ball State University.
Upon graduating, Snare thought he’d return
to his hometown of Fort Wayne and start
coaching his club team.
“When I graduated, I knew I wanted to
coach and get to the collegiate level, but
I thought it would take some time and I
would have to first pay my dues,” Snare said.
Almost a year later, Snare is now pre-
paring for his first season as head coach
of the men’s and women’s swim teams.
Although his journey to collegiate coaching
was unexpected, Snare has full confidence
in his ability to build the program.
“Sure, it was intimidating,” Snare
admitted. “My first day at AU, I got a laptop
and met everyone, then sat down at my desk
and thought ‘Okay, now what?’” Building
the program from the ground up would be
a big task, but one Snare thought he could
do.
“I started reading salesman books and
articles about selling products. If I was
going to recruit swimmers to a school that
had never had a swim team before, I had to
know how to sell it.”
Joining the coaching staff in late
October of 2015, Snare was at a disadvan-
tage, missing out on early recruiting. Most
of the big-name swimmers around Indiana
had already committed to colleges.
But with determination and a few sales-
man tips, Snare went out and found his
team.
Sophomore student Collin Barteau
didn’t expect to be collegiate swimmer, but
was eager to get back in the pool. “I was
really out of shape from taking a few years
off, but I was ready to get back in the water,”
he said.
When asked what he thought about
joining a first-year collegiate swim team,
Barteau shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t
really care, all I wanted to do was swim.”
With their opening swim meet only
a few weeks away, Barteau and Snare are
working hard to prepare for their big debut.
With 6 a.m. training sessions, 3 p.m. prac-
tices and team bonding exercises, the swim-
mers are staying focused on their unveiling.
“At the end of every swimmer’s four
years at Anderson, I want them to walk
away knowing they learned just as much
inside the pool as they did outside,” said
Snare. “We want to strive to be a team that’s
always pursuing excellence.”
The team’s first meet is a double dual
at Franklin College on Oct. 15. Snare and
his swimmers hope AU will host their own
swimmeetnextseason.Withnewlyinstalled
custom blocks, Bennett Natatorium has
never looked better. One thing is for sure:
the AU men’s and women’s swim teams have
a bright future ahead.
Building the AU swim program from the ground up
BY ALEC BROWN
SPORTS EDITOR
A member of Anderson University’s
1988 graduating class, Dave Shore, has seen
and done it all in the communications
world. Shore has served as lead reporter
for the Dallas Cowboys, television play-
by-play analyst for Texas Tech basketball,
a position Bob Knight requested Shore
to fill, Operations Manager for ESPN LA
1070, Program Director for Detroit Sports
105.1, as well as many other positions along
the way. He is currently working as a free-
lance NFL/college football network sideline
reporter.
The event that Shore has enjoyed cover-
ing the most is the NCAA Men’s Division
1 BasketballFinal Four Tournament, some-
thing he has done “16 or 17” times. “The
March Madness journey culminates in a
great stage that never disappoints. I get to
see so many of my friends in college basket-
ball each time,” he said.
Over the last two school years, Shore
has returned to Anderson University to
assist communications students in their
future careers. He credits a resurgence
in Anderson’s efforts to remain connected
with alumni and the enjoyment he experi-
ences will on campus as his reasoning for
returning. Dr. David Baird has remained
in contact with Shore, helping to organize
Shore’s latest visit.
As a talent coach who has worked with
the likes of Colin Cowherd, Stephen A.
Smith, Max Kellerman and Marcellus
Wiley, Shore’s knowledge and expertise
are invaluable assets for Anderson stu-
dents. Sophomore Communications major
Wes Davidson raved about the lessons he
learned during Shore’s time on campus.
“Mr. Shore influenced me greatly in his
trip back to AU,” Davidson said. “His
work ethic and discipline are something to
admire. I can see Dave as somebody who
has embraced the process and loves what he
does everyday.”
Shore rarely experienced a down
moment on his latest visit. Between pro-
viding on-camera coaching, visiting classes
and leading chapel for the Communications
Department, Shore spent his down time
preparing to cover the Chicago Bears vs. the
Detroit Lions game that took place Oct. 2.
While participating in his many activi-
ties across campus this week, Shore did
notice some differences from the campus
he knew as a student. He explained that
there are so many more options for stu-
dents today than those of yesteryear. “I can
tell there is more focus on specializing,” he
said. “That is important, but the Liberal
Arts options here allow students to receive
a well-rounded education.”
Shore and his wife Doreen met during
his junior year as a student at Anderson.
They were married in 1988. “She has been
a saint in understanding the moves and
steps I have had to take in this career,” Shore
explained. “Our faith has led the way.”
Many of the same faculty that taught
Shore are still teaching at Anderson today.
Baird, Dr. Jerry Fox, David Armstrong,
Mark Dawson and Dr. Doyle Lucas all
taught Shore during his time as a student.
He credited each for doing a great job.
Shore spoke to Anderson’s entire student
body on his last visit to AU. His visit this
year coincided with departmental chapel, so
Shore spoke to the entire Communications
department. He shared stories from his pro-
fessional career, spoke of how he balances
his work life and personal life, explained
how he is able to share his faith with his fel-
low Christian players, coaches and broad-
casters, and even participated in a stirring
rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,”
led by head basketball coach Owen Handy.
Maria Neathery appreciated the insight
Shore provided into the world of commu-
nications during his chapel message. “He
expressed the challenges the communica-
tions field presents, but he reassured us that
if you work hard enough to go above and
beyond everyone else, you’ll succeed,” she
said. “What I really took from him was
the importance of branding yourself as
your own individual and what makes you
special.”
Although he has traveled the country
covering sports, Shore has never lost sight
of his roots. Shore credited Anderson and
the opportunities that he was afforded while
a student for allowing to him reach the lev-
els he has in sports broadcasting. “The size
of the school has never mattered,” Shore
explained. “Quality always wins out. The
ability to get experience in a media mar-
ket like Indianapolis while I was in school
opened my vision.”
With the desire for jobs in the sports
broadcasting field continuing to grow,
Anderson students have a leg up on the
competition after learning under the tute-
lage of Shore. In the future, the possibilities
are endless as to what current Raven may
return as an alum to share stories of their
work at the highest level, in the same way
that Shore so graciously has done.
Seasoned broadcasting veteran Dave Shore returns to
Anderson to assist communications students
Diving In: Head Coach Conner Snare pre-
pares to lead the first ever AU men’s and
women’s swim teams during the 2016-
2017 season. PHOTO: SPORTS INFORMATION
Preparing For the Real Thing: Dave Shore provides on-camera coaching to AU student
Tarryn Barnes. PHOTO: PROVIDED
SPORTS CALENDAR
FOOTBALL
Oct. 8 Bluffton (home) | 1:30 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER
Oct. 5 Manchester (away) | 3 p.m.
Oct. 8 Hanover (home) | 1 p.m.
Oct. 12 Rose-Hulman (home) | 3:30
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Oct. 5 Manchester home) | 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 Hanover (home) | 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Rose-Hulman (away) | 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 5 Manchester home) | 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 Marian (home) | 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 Franklin (away) | 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Bluffton (home) | 7 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Oct.14 Wilmington Invitational | 4
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Oct. 5 Defiance (away) | 12 p.m.
Oct. 6 Rose-Hulman (home) | 4 p.m.
Oct. 8 Mount St. Joseph (away) | 11
Oct. 14 TBD | Time: TBD