New coach, familiar philosophy

When Jessen Book '01 succeeded Jim Steen last year as head coach for the women's swim team, he wondered about, but didn't agonize over, the obvious: Steen, who founded the women's varsity program in 1975-76 and led it to twenty-one national championships, would be a very tough act to follow.

"To be honest, I did think about the challenges of following Coach Steen when I applied for this job," said Book. "But Kenyon has always spoken to me. I love the mission of this college and the foundations of this swimming program. I am part of this place, and it is part of me."

Book is certainly a part of Kenyon swimming. He swam on four NCAA championship teams, becoming an All-American, captaining the Lords squad in 2000-01, and completing his career with an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship while earning his B.A. with a double major in biology and English. He returned to campus for four stints as an assistant coach, helping Steen guide both the Lords and Ladies.

Book went on to Ohio State University, where he earned a master's degree in sports and exercise studies. At Division I Ohio State, he also served as assistant men's swim coach. During his stint, the team won its first Big Ten championship in fifty-four years.

While Steen continues to coach the Lords, he decided to retire as women's coach because he felt he could no longer commit so much energy to both programs. But Book is a big believer in the Steen philosophy of stressing individual challenge over winning. "Coach Steen preaches that it's the process that matters, not the outcome," said Book. "He's a genius at helping swimmers find the best in themselves."

To reorient Lady swimmers who expected to spend their entire collegiate careers swimming for Steen, Book called each one of them last summer and asked them a series of inner-motive questions: Why did you choose Kenyon? Why do you love swimming?

As for Steen, he couldn't be happier. "Jess Book is coming home," he said. "I can think of no other individual who embodies and embraces so much of what this college is all about."

Shortly after Book took the job, Steen offered the following advice: Follow your instincts. Follow your heart. Be your own man.

The new coach hasn't been afraid to make some changes. When the Ladies started practice last fall, several new wrinkles were evident: a fourth morning workout during the week, team suits that were a little louder than usual, and practices that were a little more structured than Steen's.

But Book still leaned heavily on his mentor. "Two minds are always better than one," he said. "Jim and I compare notes, on and off, all day long."

Both coaches took the tried-and-true Steen approach to the 2010-11 season. Like Steen, Book didn't pay a lot of attention to the team's dual-meet record. This year, the Denison men and women—coached by Gregg Parini '82, another Steen disciple—won the North Coast Athletic Conference.

At the nationals, where Kenyon's men lost narrowly to Denison, ending the Lords' famous thirty-one-title streak, the women took fourth place for the second year in a row. The 2011 national champions, also for the second straight year, were the Emory University women, coached by Jon Howell '90.

But for Book, as for Steen, the essence of coaching goes beyond championships. The Ladies' new coach would love to see the Ladies back on the top level of the podium. His overriding goal, however, will always be "helping swimmers find the best in themselves."

—Kent Hannon

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