BRAINARD — The majority of the Brainerd Warriors boys swimming and diving team will be back next year after winning the Section 8-2A team title.
Several of these student-athletes went on to compete in the Class 2A state tournament at the University of Minnesota.
The Warriors finished 7-1 overall and second in the Central Lakes Conference behind Sartell at 6-1.
With much of that success returning, head coach John Zemke decided it was time to hand over the reigns to someone younger.
Zemke sent his resignation to Brainerd Warriors activities director Jack Freeman last week.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
“I thanked Jack for everything,” Zemke said. “I have worked for four different activity directors and each one of them treated the programs I directed as if they were the most important in the district. Many thanks to all of you. It was a great journey and I said it was time to move on. My wife and I no longer lived at home and it was time to move on to a new phase in our lives. It would be interesting to experience the Minnesota winter without a coach.
“To be honest, the pressure I was putting on myself probably wasn't the best. People can say, 'I'm swimming.' No matter what you coach, the internal pressure you put on yourself is greater than any other pressure you experience. It was great to win the section for the third year in a row. Everything is in place for the next coach to take over and possibly win another section title next year. The program is in excellent condition. I just felt like the time had come. ”
Zemke has been Brainerd's head coach since 1997, compiling an overall record of 188-34-1 during that time. He qualified 74 different student-athletes to the Minnesota High School League state tournament. He has coached 35 different All-State athletes and 58 different All-Conference swimmers and divers.
Zemke was named Section 8-2A Coach of the Year 17 times. He was named Class 2A state coach of the year four times. All 12 of his Brainerd High School swimming and diving records are held by athletes he coached. Six of his athletes earned All-America honors and two, Sean Kennedy and Jared Anderson, won state titles.
On April 29, Zemke was inducted into the Brainerd Warriors Athletic Hall of Fame at the Brainerd All-Sports Banquet. It was a fitting end to a swimming and diving career as an athlete and coach that began in 1980.
“I'm going to miss my kids when they're gone,” Zemke said. “I've always enjoyed coaching kids and being around kids. That part isn't why I'm withdrawing. Everything else comes with it. I work with swimmers every day. It would be great if I could just do that and hang out with him and write about his workouts and watch practices. But that's just part of being a head coach right now. It's a hard year-round commitment. During the summer, we're in the pool five days a week with (Warriors girls swimming and diving coaches) Dan Anderson and Anne Stengren.
“The relationships with athletes and people involved in the swimming community, whether it's Brainerd or other communities, I'm going to miss that part. There's a lot of other parts that I'm going to miss.”
Zemke said it's simply that he wants the freedom to do what he wants, when he wants.
Zemke's freedom comes at a great cost to the Warrior Athletic Department, Freeman said.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
“He was the ultimate professional throughout his career,” Freeman said. “He's built a great program across the board. The consistency of the staff he's worked with has been very special. You don't often see staff that have been together for decades. The number of State Coach of the Year and Section Coach of the Year awards he has won over the years speaks volumes about how his peers view him and how highly regarded he is in the profession.
“He was a really great guy and I will miss him on the Warrior pool deck. He was someone who was always fun to talk to no matter the situation.”
Finding a new coach won't be too difficult thanks to the new Brainerd High School Aquatic Center, the program's past and recent successes, and the number of people already in the coaching profession coached by former Warrior Zemek. Maybe.
“I think some people I know would definitely be interested,” Zemke said. “I hope it won't be a difficult process for Jack. Everything is in place. We have a beautiful facility. We've got some numbers in the middle school, but we've got a lot of talent returning on the high school team. I think everything is set up for someone to come in.”
Zemke believes he can walk away from the sport completely. He has no intention of becoming a coaching consultant for new hires or working at another level. He always said his goal was to last 25 years, but then a new high school pool opened up, so he stayed a few more years.
Then a stacked team came along and he got stuck a few more times.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
“(Former Brainerd head baseball coach) Lowell Sciasci once said to me: If you look down the street, there's always someone there,” Zemke said. “We have several seventh- and eighth-graders who are going to be great swimmers in the future. There's always someone there, so you can't use the excuse of why you're holding on.”
Zemke left with no regrets other than having his wife, Chris, drive the kids to all the youth sporting events on cold winter days while he was coaching.
“We were supposed to be together, but we were at a swim meet or practice,” he said. “We used to practice a lot on Saturdays, and she would have the kids practice here and there. If you're a successful head coach and you have a spouse, your spouse should be pretty understanding,” he said. My wife certainly did. I'm really lucky in that respect.”
JEREMY MILLSOP can be reached at 218-855-5856 or jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jeremymillsop.
