“The top of my resume for this job pretty much says ‘swim mom,’” pool director Suann Foust said. “I’m organized and I also know how to function within a school district. I think that gives me a good perspective.”
As the pool director, Foust has many responsibilities. Overseeing pool maintenance needs, hiring lifeguards and making the lifeguards’ schedules are a few of the tasks she takes on.
Before working as the pool director, Foust was a high school special education teacher in Sparta. Near the end of her career in education, she knew she wasn’t done working. Hearing about a job opportunity at Northview as the pool director, Foust decided to dive in.
In her childhood, Foust swam competitively from ages six to sixteen. When her family moved from Farmington to Grand Rapids, she was no longer able to swim because her new school, Forest Hills Central, did not have a team.
“I was not a great swimmer, but the relationships that you build, the comradery you have, I guess it kind of goes back to ‘misery loves company,’” Foust said. “It is a lot of hard work and you really build some incredible relationships.”
Even though she was no longer on a team, Foust still swam in her free time in order to keep swimming a part of her life. She even got her son, Nolan, to swim on Northview’s team.
“I knew that from my own experience that you get that daily feedback and he really took to it. He really enjoyed it and he swam all the way through college,” Foust said.
Not only is she the pool director, but Foust also used to be the head swim coach for the community swim team. Working with kids on how to circle swim, sharing the swim lane with another swimmer going in the opposite direction, and using the pace clock (a clock that shows the swimmers their time) was her specialty.
“[What I enjoy most about coaching was] watching kids realize their potential and grow and work through the struggles. There’s nothing like working with young people,” Foust said.
This is an awesome article! Way to go Sami.