Doug Thompson found his passion for swimming when he began competing as a triathlete 18 years ago.
About 10 years ago, when his kids went into the sport, they needed a coach and he stepped in and is now an assistant coach with the New Paltz Hawks. He’s been an assistant coach with the New Paltz boys’ swimming program for the past four seasons.
And in what is expected to be an abbreviated system, he will take over as coach of the Wallkill girls’ swimming team in the spring when fall sports are played.
“I’m very excited to work with Wallkill,” Thompson said. “We’re hoping to have sports and I’m looking forward to coaching the team.”

Thompson knows several of the swimmers, including Grace Lang, Andie Psilopoulos and Claire Lischinsky through the Hawks’ swimming program, which could smooth the transition to a new coach.
“I’m lucky that I actually talked to them last week and it’s exciting,” Thompson said. “They know we need to get numbers I told them to bring their friends out.”
Last year’s Wallkill team only had 11 swimmers, five of which were seniors, leaving only a core of six. Not enough to compete in dual meets.
But winning dual meets won’t be the focus. Instead, he’s going to focus on personal improvement.
“It’s going to be tough going against the bigger teams,” Thompson said. “The big thing, as a coach, is challenging the kids to beat their personal times. I do a lot of detailed-time work. It’s those little goals you give the kids that keep them going.”
Another challenge for the new coach is that the fall 2020 season is going to be played in March and April 2021 as Section 9 elected to postpone all fall sports until early spring.
The winter 2020-21 boys’ swim season in New Paltz is scheduled to begin preseason on Nov. 30. Individual swimming and diving are considered “low-risk” while relays are considered “moderate risk”.
The season is expected to have a complete season, which will run right up to the beginning of the “fall” season in early spring. This season could bring the unexpected.
“We’re going to have to get at it and see where we’re at and do what we can,” Thompson said. “There’s going to be a lot of overlap. It’s going to be challenging depending on how much time we get and what pool lets us in.”
There’s an additional challenge for the team. Wallkill Senior High school doesn’t have a pool, so the Panthers have to find other places to swim. That could be difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also has the challenge of building a small program into one that can be competitive.
To that end, he’s willing to teach kids how to swim to get them into the sport. They don’t have to start out as competitive swimmers.
“We have some kids (in New Paltz) that are Section 9 qualifiers after not being able swim three years ago,” Thompson said.
He’s optimistic about being able to build the program as he feels athletes are hungrier to be involved with sports after being cooped up for so many months due to the pandemic.
“I think kids are going to come out and will want to do something,” Thompson said. “I think that’s important for the kids’ physical and mental health.”