Team: Women’s swim and dive
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Major: Spanish with a concentration in public health
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Inés Garcia (IG): What got you into swimming?
Ruby Groves (RG): I grew up by the beach, so knowing how to swim was never really a question. From that angle, my parents just cared that my brother and I were competent enough swimmers. We then started doing summer club swim team, and I swam at the local YMCA for a while. In middle school, I decided I wanted to take it a little bit more seriously, and I swam club through high school.
IG: Growing up, did you have any swim idols?
RG: Definitely. When I was really little, I was obsessed with Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky. I think Katie Ledecky is still my idol. She’s the greatest.
IG: What’s it like to be captain for so many people?
RG: It feels like they’re all my best friends, so it’s a fun job. During preseason, it’s a lot of work because we run captains’ practices through Oct. 22, and then our coaches come on deck. Once we get our coaches back, it’s a lot less work because we don’t have to write and run practices anymore. By and large, most of the hard stuff is logistics, and the rest of it’s fun and exciting.
IG: You were also a Junior Advisor (JA) last year. Do you feel like that’s lent itself to your role as captain?
RG: One hundred percent. Getting to know first-years and helping them adjust as a JA is a big part of the captain’s job as well. We have a pretty well-adjusted freshman class, but when they need anything, I feel like I can draw on my JA experience to work that out. I also think building a community in an entry is similar to building a community on a team. Swimmers may have more in common than a random group of 31 first-years, but it’s still helpful in figuring out how to create different types of group environments and build community.
IG: How has the season been going so far?
RG: It’s been really good. We beat Tufts in a dual meet at home, which was great, because they are our closest NESCAC competitor. Amherst is always a super fun dual meet, just because it’s our rival. That was our senior night, so that was a blast. We graduated a lot of high scorers and great teammates last year so they’ve left big shoes to fill. People have really stepped up though, and our frosh are really strong.
IG: With NESCACs this week, do you have some goals for the team moving into these postseason meets?
RG: Our number one goal is definitely to win that meet. Last year, it was the most fun swim meet I’ve ever been to. I think most of my teammates would say the same thing, we just had so much energy and so much fun. When you can create that kind of an atmosphere, it’s really conducive to success, because swimming can be a really mental sport. So when you take people out of their own heads and into a team environment, that’s when you get the best performances out of people.
IG: Do you have any traditions you can tell me about?
RG: One thing that always makes me laugh is, traditionally on the Sunday before NESCACs, we always do a long team meeting. We do a couple of different exercises. You write down your doubts and expectations about the meet, shred them up and put them in the recycling bin, and then make a big poster where everyone writes three or four things that give them confidence. It’s fun to see what your teammates have to say.
IG: What’s your dream walk-on song?
RG: When I was little, I always used to listen to either “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, or “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani — that was my mom’s favorite.
IG: What are some of your favorite team memories?
RG: That last night of NESCACs last year, where it was really close. That was a really great night, and we won, so it’s very satisfying to win a close meet. Training trips are always a blast. It’s always this mental tug of war between, this is the most pain I’ve ever been in, and also, this is the most fun ever because I’m on a free vacation with all my best friends.
IG: This is maybe one of your last seasons ever swimming. What do you think you’re going to think about the most when you graduate?
RG: I’ve had moments this year, where I’ve been like, “Oh gosh, I’m not gonna miss waking up for 6 a.m. lifts,” but I think I’ll miss the people that I do it with. There really is nothing like being on a college athletics team — the camaraderie and the shared sense of purpose is pretty impossible to recreate.
IG: What are some lessons you learned as a captain, or what are some takeaways you got from this season?
RG: I think being a captain is the best way to force yourself out of people-pleasing tendencies. When you’re captain, you’re always having to make decisions, and not everyone is going to be the biggest fan of all of your decisions all the time. At the beginning, it was a pretty hard pill to swallow. But you don’t need to be called a captain in order to be a leader. Stepping up and being a leader is something I’ve seen a lot of the girls in my class do, and we would not get through the season without that, either.
