Tom Plemons, newly hired head swim team coach for the Bridge was born and raised in Texas, OK and moved to West Virginia in 1963. He graduated from Lewis County High School in 1969. He began working at the Harrison County YMCA in 1985 as the gymnastics and tumbling coach. Upon requests from parents Tom was instrumental in forming the YMCA Swim Team in 1989.
In May 1994 Tom became the Aquatics Director and swim coach. His coaching career has included two high school teams as well, RCB and Notre Dame. Tom began a second career with the ARC (Association of Retarded Citizens) in 1999, while still leading the Y’s swim team. He retired from there in 2019.
Tom has had many successful swimmers in his career. He has led kids to Y Nationals every year through 2018. He can’t count the number of swimmers who have continued swimming in college, but four of his swimmers, Krista Arnold, Chris Hagedorn, Michael Walker, and Tim Squires, attended Olympic Trials. These same four swimmers also attended Y Nationals, Junior Nationals, and Senior Nationals.
It all began with teaching swim lessons. Tom said kids would perform and his efforts as a great motivator paid off.
Tom said his greatest moment is when kids he coached bring their kids to him to learn to swim. Tom lives by loyalty and trust and he plans to continue that philosophy. Swimming is just part of the picture. There are life lessons involved.