No coach? No problem.
The Ohio State Water Ski Team took the Austin Aquaplex in Buda, Texas, by storm last week, winning the Division 2 National Team Championship in its first appearance at the tournament in 29 years — all without guidance from a professional coach.
“It was just an unbelievable feeling,” said Derek McLachlan, a fourth-year in mechanical engineering and president of the team. “We all went crazy.”
In the tournament, Thursday through Saturday, OSU earned 7,245 points, leaving the University of Texas in second place with 7,075 points. Individuals competed in three events: slalom, jumping and tricking. Points are given to teams based on how many opponents they beat in an individual event.
The lack of a coach was not a worry for the team.
“We coach ourselves based on what we’re good at,” said Ben Van Treese, a third-year in dietetics who took second place overall in men’s events.
“Other schools are kind of uptight because they have coaches,” said Kyle Dammeyer, a first-year in engineering who placed sixth overall in men’s events. “We have a lot more fun, and having more fun definitely helps the sport out.”
Even without a coach, it takes practice and discipline to prepare for nationals, especially for a team that “came from nothing to a very respectable team,” Van Treese said.
The team started preparing during spring break and spent an average of 10 hours a week practicing, said captain Jamie Zeal, a fourth-year in psychobiology. But it adds up to a lot more time for some and less for others, she added. Zeal placed fifth overall in women’s events.
Already looking toward next year, team members hope the national title will bolster their recruitment and improve their chances to break into Division 1.
Division placement is based on how a team performs in regional tournaments. The top three teams in each tournament move into Division 1, and the teams placing fourth and fifth move into Division 2. OSU placed fourth in the Midwest Regionals earlier this year.
More skiers could result in better scores.
“It’s more so having the quantity, not quality, because of the way the scoring works,” Zeal said. “You’re much better off having four or five decent girls and four or five decent guys rather than just one all-star person.”
Team members also hope to receive more money from OSU to pay for equipment and travel to tournaments, Van Treese said.
The team is paid for through donations from team parents and alumni, work at concession stands in Nationwide Arena and money from OSU based on the team’s status as a sports organization. The money from OSU varies from $750 to $1,300 a year.
“That barely covers two boat payments,” McLachlan said.
The university has no plans to add sports at the varsity level, and the team members might find themselves over their heads in Division 1, Athletics Director Gene Smith said.
“They have a quality, competitive experience,” Smith said. “Why would you want to change that?”
