Monday, March 20, 2023
Cunningham, Helena Dolphins Growing at Every Step
Alana Cunningham had plans to take swimming as far as she could. She wanted to compete at the high school level, and maybe even collegiately.
The River Forest, Illinois native participated in ‘Mommy and Me’ swim classes at Concordia University as an infant, at the insistence of her grandmother. She continued swim classes at Concordia, Oak Park YMCA and Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club.
“I was tall for my age and had become a rather good swimmer, so my swim instructor approached the swim team coaches and suggested that I start competitive swimming,” Cunningham explained. “It was there, when I was 8, that I was introduced to competitive swim coaching when I began helping my coaches with the ‘pee wee’ swim team. It was my first taste of sharing my love of the sport with other young swimmers.”
The summer before starting high school, with every intention of swimming at Oak Park River Forest High School, Cunningham suffered a shoulder injury that changed her personal goals. No longer able to swim competitively, she transitioned to teaching swimming, coaching, life guarding and athletic training.
Cunningham credits her coaches at Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club and her mother as her valued mentors and support system.
She recalls: “A swim coach once asked me, ‘Alana, do you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond?’ She wanted to make me think about my personal goals and ambitions, and to encourage me to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option. This quote challenges me to think about how I want to position myself in the world of swimming and has helped me with decisions I have had to make for my swim club.”
Now 30 years old, Cunningham is head coach and owner of the Helena Dolphins, a member of Montana Swimming.
In her full-time job, she manages public relations for the state of Montana’s Office of Tourism. Her background in marketing, public relations and graphic design comes in handy as leader of the Dolphins, a competitive swim team and a small business.
In 2020 and with just three athletes, Cunningham started the Dolphins under the local YMCA a couple months before COVID hit and the program was eventually halted, like so many others. As the community opened again, the YMCA was forced to reevaluate all areas of business and had to let go of the swim team because of sustainability costs.
Cunningham asked the YMCA’s CEO if she could take over the program as a coach-owned team and sustain it separately from the Y.
“I’m blessed that she allowed me to take on the team as a coach-owned and woman-owned competitive swim team,” Cunningham said. “From there, I was basically starting from scratch and needed a new business plan. I didn’t have a pool facility for the fall season. I had three senior swimmers on my team and was wondering how I would ever make it work especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Thanks to Capital City Health Club and the support of her swimmers, Cunningham secured pool space for her first fall season at the helm of the program. Cunningham often reflects on her why.
“(The athletes) reminded me why I do what I do, which is for my love of the sport and the kids.”
Now supporting nearly 50 swimmers with 20 athletes trying out for the upcoming summer season, the Dolphins opened a new location in Butte, Montana in early 2022 and already have regular participants. With the expansion, Cunningham’s all-women coaching staff has never been more vital. With these traits in mind, she’s built a group of leaders and a support system:
“I’m taking it one process at a time,” Cunningham said when referring to tackling grant applications, professional development programming and the variety of resources available to her woman-owned small business, the staff and the Dolphins community.
The USA Swimming Safe Sport Club Recognition (SSRP) program allows a member club to demonstrate its commitment to creating a healthy and positive environment free from abuse for all its members.
To earn SSRP recognition, clubs share their Athlete Protection Policies and other measures they have in place to safeguard athletes, demonstrate how they screen and select staff and volunteers and detail their communication to members about how to report misconduct to USA Swimming Safe Sport and the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Clubs are awarded points when minor athletes and parents complete the Safe Sport online courses and by hosting in-person Safe Sport programming.
Recognized clubs – the Helena Dolphins completed the program in February 2023 – earn a badge to display on their website and are designated as Safe Sport recognized in USA Swimming’s Find-a-Team online search tool.
“Staying SSRP approved means more to a program than I think the community realizes,” Cunningham said. “It’s important not to forget the pieces of running a business; we can’t forget the little things. Building a staff is a key component for a program’s success. A head coach can’t do it all.”
Cunningham’s advice to coaches and those active in swimming who want to start a team or build a program:
With genuine intention, planning and purpose, Cunningham has made a big fish impact in her local community.
The River Forest, Illinois native participated in ‘Mommy and Me’ swim classes at Concordia University as an infant, at the insistence of her grandmother. She continued swim classes at Concordia, Oak Park YMCA and Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club.
“I was tall for my age and had become a rather good swimmer, so my swim instructor approached the swim team coaches and suggested that I start competitive swimming,” Cunningham explained. “It was there, when I was 8, that I was introduced to competitive swim coaching when I began helping my coaches with the ‘pee wee’ swim team. It was my first taste of sharing my love of the sport with other young swimmers.”
The summer before starting high school, with every intention of swimming at Oak Park River Forest High School, Cunningham suffered a shoulder injury that changed her personal goals. No longer able to swim competitively, she transitioned to teaching swimming, coaching, life guarding and athletic training.
Cunningham credits her coaches at Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club and her mother as her valued mentors and support system.
She recalls: “A swim coach once asked me, ‘Alana, do you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond?’ She wanted to make me think about my personal goals and ambitions, and to encourage me to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option. This quote challenges me to think about how I want to position myself in the world of swimming and has helped me with decisions I have had to make for my swim club.”
Now 30 years old, Cunningham is head coach and owner of the Helena Dolphins, a member of Montana Swimming.
In her full-time job, she manages public relations for the state of Montana’s Office of Tourism. Her background in marketing, public relations and graphic design comes in handy as leader of the Dolphins, a competitive swim team and a small business.
In 2020 and with just three athletes, Cunningham started the Dolphins under the local YMCA a couple months before COVID hit and the program was eventually halted, like so many others. As the community opened again, the YMCA was forced to reevaluate all areas of business and had to let go of the swim team because of sustainability costs.
Cunningham asked the YMCA’s CEO if she could take over the program as a coach-owned team and sustain it separately from the Y.
“I’m blessed that she allowed me to take on the team as a coach-owned and woman-owned competitive swim team,” Cunningham said. “From there, I was basically starting from scratch and needed a new business plan. I didn’t have a pool facility for the fall season. I had three senior swimmers on my team and was wondering how I would ever make it work especially in the middle of a pandemic.”
Thanks to Capital City Health Club and the support of her swimmers, Cunningham secured pool space for her first fall season at the helm of the program. Cunningham often reflects on her why.
“(The athletes) reminded me why I do what I do, which is for my love of the sport and the kids.”
Now supporting nearly 50 swimmers with 20 athletes trying out for the upcoming summer season, the Dolphins opened a new location in Butte, Montana in early 2022 and already have regular participants. With the expansion, Cunningham’s all-women coaching staff has never been more vital. With these traits in mind, she’s built a group of leaders and a support system:
- Commitment to swimmer development. Every swimmer is different when it comes to ability and how they are coached. I look for someone who is committed to developing athletes in and out of the water by creating a positive and supportive environment that fosters personal growth and development.
- Willingness to learn. Someone who recognizes that they don’t have all the answers and are open to new ideas and approaches, seeks out new information and perspectives and welcomes feedback from coaches and swimmers.
- Passionate. Someone who is enthusiastic, energetic and brings a positive attitude to every practice and competition. Can inspire and motivate athletes, creating a sense of camaraderie and team spirit that helps to build a strong and supportive team culture.
“I’m taking it one process at a time,” Cunningham said when referring to tackling grant applications, professional development programming and the variety of resources available to her woman-owned small business, the staff and the Dolphins community.
The USA Swimming Safe Sport Club Recognition (SSRP) program allows a member club to demonstrate its commitment to creating a healthy and positive environment free from abuse for all its members.
To earn SSRP recognition, clubs share their Athlete Protection Policies and other measures they have in place to safeguard athletes, demonstrate how they screen and select staff and volunteers and detail their communication to members about how to report misconduct to USA Swimming Safe Sport and the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Clubs are awarded points when minor athletes and parents complete the Safe Sport online courses and by hosting in-person Safe Sport programming.
Recognized clubs – the Helena Dolphins completed the program in February 2023 – earn a badge to display on their website and are designated as Safe Sport recognized in USA Swimming’s Find-a-Team online search tool.
“Staying SSRP approved means more to a program than I think the community realizes,” Cunningham said. “It’s important not to forget the pieces of running a business; we can’t forget the little things. Building a staff is a key component for a program’s success. A head coach can’t do it all.”
Cunningham’s advice to coaches and those active in swimming who want to start a team or build a program:
- Do not be afraid to ask for help. Owning your own team is a hard task; you will have many ups and downs, but you will get through it with the help of others.
- Find balance. Along with running a swim team, I also work full time, and it can be hard to balance everything I’m juggling. I have learned to trust my coaching staff to take the lead and to periodically take a step back to make sure I still have family time.
- Be a Goldfish. (Apple TV+ character) Ted Lasso says, “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.” This quote reminds me not to sweat the small stuff.
With genuine intention, planning and purpose, Cunningham has made a big fish impact in her local community.