Greater Newark Swim Club Feature: Diana Stambaugh

Diana Stambaugh and the Greater Newark Pool

At the heart of the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club location is their 25 yard, 6 lane swimming pool where competitive swim teams and Children, Young Adult, and Adult programs thrive. Leading these team and program initiatives is Head Coach and Aquatics Director, Diana Stambaugh. Diana says she was practically born into the sport of swimming as her father was a competitive swimmer, and her mother competed in synchronized swimming, shaping her early passion for the aquatic sport. She swam competitively throughout her childhood and in college at Wilmington College and Towson State University. Around the age of 15, Diana became involved with Boys & Girls Club Summer Club, helping coach younger kids into competitive swimmers. Eight summers later, the Greater Newark pool was built! The year following, Diana and her sister formed the first competitive swim team at Boys & Girls Club, consisting of 20 interested kids. Since then, the swim programs have grown tremendously, estimating 200 to 250 kids who show up to swim each month.

Guided by structured control and strategic organization, Diana knows what it takes to form a strong and successful team, uplifted by a culture built on trust, commitment, and continuous improvement. Diana’s educational background in teaching and former teaching experience has given her the knowledge and practice to connect to all different kinds of students. She says, “It’s definitely not one size fits all, but what excites me the most is figuring out what works best for each kid”. While she expresses there are still some “tough cookies” where fear takes over entering the water, Diana leads by example by showcasing the ease of swimming and excitement it brings to her students. She explained how It’s never as scary as you think, but just by entering the water with them and pushing them to believe in themselves, they’ll become unstoppable. As a logistical person, Diana also loves the flexibility of her job within working accommodating hours for familial needs piecing practice schedules together like a puzzle. “It’s nice to have the freedom and control to develop the program how I see best fit.”

Diana installs valuable lessons into her practices when teaching anyone how to swim. With drowning as one of the top accidental clauses of death, these lessons teach students essential survival skills to prevent drowning and better their aquatic abilities. Swimming benefits your mind and body in a multitude of ways. The sport is great for your physical health by benefitting your cardiovascular system, strengthening muscles and improving flexibility. You learn important STEM lessons like buoyancy, force, and body mechanics along with cognitive skills such as memory and spatial reasoning. Swimming can also improve your mental well-being as it builds your self-esteem, confidence, and stress reduction while teaching mental resilience and disciple through perseverance, focus, and emotional regulation. Diana emphasizes learning to swim is a meaningful skill everyone

should learn, given our planet is more water than land. “The water is my second home, if I had gills, I would probably always be in the water”.

Boys & Girls Club offers a wide range of programming for children and adults, including several levels of competitive swim teams. These teams vary in age, skill, and training commitment, giving swimmers multiple pathways to grow and challenge themselves. Over the years, Diana has witnessed remarkable developments in her athletes, each following their unique journey. She shares one of her most memorable stories about a student who often felt intimidated and discouraged whenever it was time to work on his backstroke. But with steady encouragement, honest conversations about mastering every stroke, and the push to believe in his own potential, he gradually committed to improving. This resulted in the backstroke becoming his strongest and highest-scoring event! The Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club annually attends the Boys & Girls Club National Championship held in St. Petersburg Florida. With some past high scoring wins under their belt, the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club plans to send 40 – 50 of their swimmers to the competition this year. Diana loves to bring lots of love and life to this meet as she pairs up younger swimmers with older swimmers as a buddy system as they make signs for one another and have each other for a main system of support and energy. We wish all swimmers the best of luck in the upcoming meets this season!

The Greater Newark pool is also used for our Summer Fun Program during our Swim4Life series where our Club members have the opportunity to practice their swimming skills everyday through fun games and open play. This gives kids the opportunity to feel more comfortable and confident in the water, turning swimming into an enjoyable activity rather than something to fear. Diana loves watching the joy and fulfillment the pool can bring to the Club members, whether its splashing in free play or pushing themselves in competition, each swimmer never fails to bring a smile to her face. Above all, the Greater Newark pool embodies unity, confidence, and personal development. It serves as a space where every swimmer feels welcomed, empowered, and celebrated and helps every Club member make waves far beyond the pool.