Sondheim Receives Posthumous Swimming Honor

From walking on to American University’s swim team to attempting to swim the English Channel to coaching the Sharon High swim team, much of late Sharon Athletic Director Bob Sondheim’s life was devoted to the water.

Sondheim, who passed away in April 2013 at age 63, orchestrated the Hockomock League swimming championships for many seasons, and his former colleagues recently ensured that his name will be linked in the future to his beloved sport.

Hockomock athletic directors and principals last month voted unanimously that the league title trophies, presented annually following the swimming championships to the league’s boys and girls swim programs, would both be renamed the “Robert Sondheim Memorial Hockomock League Championship Trophy”.

North Attleboro Athletic Director Kurt Kummer said of Sondheim and the league championships, “He loved the competition and the sportsmanship it brought to the league. I believe because of his hard work, our high school swim league ranks up with the best in the state. He helped make it important to be a high school swimmer,” Kummer said.

“Bob was an important figure in the Hockomock League for more than a decade,” said Canton Athletic Director Danny Erickson. “He made his biggest impact with his care and light-hearted personality. Everyone loved Bob, and he gave that love back. And he loved the League. It was clear to everyone involved that this Championship Meet should bear his name.”

Nickie Cheung, Sharon High ’13, in whose senior year Sondheim served as volunteer assistant coach, says that Sondheim taught him to believe in himself. “He showed me that everybody, even me, has potential within them just waiting to shine. He changed my outlook on how to strive for the best by having faith in my own abilities and trusting myself,” said Cheung.

According to Jenn Iverson, who was the head coach of the Sharon swim program from 2011-13, Sondheim walked on to the American University swim team. “Not an easy mission, but he proved that he had a place on that team and he loved every minute of his time there. That story alone showed the kids that if they wanted something bad enough, they could achieve it,” said Iverson. 

Sondheim twice endeavored to swim the English Channel, a treacherous 20.6-mile stretch of water between England and France, to raise money for charitable causes. (He was unable to complete either swim.)

Dave Clifton, a longtime friend who trained Sondheim for his attempts in 1983 and 1985, told The Boston Globe last year, “He gave it the all-American try. But it wasn’t a total loss because he raised money doing it. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was always there to serve. He had a great sense of community,” Clifton said.

A marvelous storyteller, Sondheim had since regaled many the in riveting tales of his attempts. Franklin Athletic Director Brad Sidwell says that hearing such accounts are among his most memorable interactions with ‘Sondo’.

Iverson said, “He always had a story to share. Sometimes it was funny or even embarrassing, sometimes it was inspiring; no matter what it was, though, you couldn’t help but listen. His love of the sport came out with each story.”

A sampling of Sondheim’s involvement in the Sharon community, while working for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (he was a 26-year employee there), prior hired to run the Sharon athletic department in 2001, included: broadcasting, in his estimation, 300 area high school basketball and football games with Clifton; serving on countless town committees; and singing in the Sharon Community Chorus.

“I think he was one of the kindest men I have known,” said Kummer. “There were five things I saw Bob have a passion for: first was his wife [Celina, who passed away in 2011], second was his kids [Andy and Carrie], third was swimming, fourth was his garden [at his home in Sharon], and fifth was his love for Sharon High School’s student-athletes. 

Sharon High Principal Jose Libano says that Sondheim may have been Sharon’s first swim coach and believes that he was, as athletic director, responsible for having created the first-ever league championship meet.

In the latter role, Sondheim was always in charge of the Hockomock’s swimming activities, according to current Sharon AD Bill Martin, which included coordinating the annual title meet.

Libano said, “I do remember, vividly, going to the Hockomock League championships on numerous occasions, and he was always on top of every little detail of that meet. From having programs to vendors to selling tickets to timers, he made sure that it went well and was a successful venture for the student-athletes.”

Although swimming is not considered a high-profile high school sport, Sondheim elevated its cache in the Hock, according to Erickson. “He was the loudest voice advocating for swimming. He was the sport’s biggest fan and supporter in the league,” Erickson said.

After retiring as athletic director following the 2011-12 school year, Sondheim decided to return to coaching, giving of his time to assist Iverson with her program. Iverson says that she felt honored to have Sondheim on her staff, and noted that he never missed a practice.

Iverson says that Sondheim possessed a keen ability to identify undeveloped talent. “Mr. Sondheim had an eye for the group of swimmers that it didn’t come quite as naturally to, or the ones who were just beginning their swimming careers.

“He loved watching the little improvements and taking the time to work with them when it was taking just a little bit longer than everyone else to get it. He encouraged the kids to set goals, to reach for something that seemed just a little out of reach, and he would remind them of that goal all year long,” Iverson added.

Cheung says that one interaction with Sondheim left a profound impact on the swimmer. Feeling under the weather during one of the final practices prior to the league title meet, Cheung lagged behind the pace of his fellow swimmers. Sondheim pulled him out of the water 15 minutes into practice.

Cheung said, “[Sondheim] asked me, ‘How are you today?’ I replied honestly, ‘Crappy, Mr. Sondheim.’ He responded with a hearty chuckle and told me, ‘Yeah, I can tell.’” Sondheim proceeded to identify to Cheung what he was doing poorly technique-wise, most notably not extending his arms fully.

After showing him how far his arms could actually reached, Sondheim told Cheung to swim a lap of minimal-effort strokes, which confused the swimmer since his teammates were already well into their distance sets.

“Mr. Sondheim met me at the other end of the pool, and greeted me with a smile. ‘How did that feel?’ he asked. I told him honestly, ‘Still pretty bad.’ He said, ‘Nickie, you looked amazing swimming that 25. Your arms were stretched all the way out, and I would estimate that you swam the length of the pool in approximately 12 strokes without even thinking about it.

“‘As long as you relax and calm yourself down, your swimming is outstanding, and I'm extremely happy with your efforts and your work ethic during practice. Don't be so down about yourself just because you feel sick today. Everybody feels sick sometimes! Just give it your best shot, like I know you will, and just swim.’ To this day, his words have resonated within me,” Cheung added.

Iverson says that Sondheim provided a tremendous support in both his athletic director and assistant coaching roles. “He taught me to step back and just look at the basics sometimes. He believed in mind over matter, and his favorite thing was to watch a kid put everything they had in to a race, no matter what the outcome was,” said Iverson.

Sondheim was also a skilled tactician, helping Iverson understand the nuances of filling out the lineup for meets to maximize the talent on her roster, the coach said. “On the bus rides, he’d walk me through the process, explain the possible outcomes, and then leave it up to me to make the final decision,” Iverson said.

Sondheim also orchestrated a swim-a-thon that the 2012-13 team participated in, raising $2,500 for the Global Soap Project, which provides soap to citizens of third-world countries from bars left over in American hotels.

According to The Globe, Sondheim swam a mile over 90 minutes with a technique, sculling, that utilized only his hands and forearms in the event, which occurred two days prior to his April 8 passing.

“The swim-a-thon that he organized is a perfect example of taking two things that he cared so much about and combining them for a wonderful result,” Iverson said. “To see the kids together on a Saturday morning in the pool swimming for something like that had no [measurable] value.”

Sondheim would have turned 64 this past Monday. Libano is pleased that the trophies will help keep Sondheim’s name alive, even as the participants change. “It’s an honor, and I think it’s fitting. It was the right thing to do, and everybody knew it.

“20 years from now, when people say the ‘Bob Sondheim Hockomock Swim Championship Meet’, people will say, ‘Who’s Bob Sondheim?’ Then, I’d say, ‘Well, he was the athletic director at Sharon.’ It’s a legacy not only for Bob and his family, but for the high school and the town of Sharon, and I think that’s pretty special. Pretty awesome,” Libano added.

The first of such trophies will be presented at Milford High School to the Hockomock League champion at the boys meet this Friday, Jan. 31 (4 p.m.), and at the girls meet on Saturday, Feb. 1 (9 a.m.).