Q&A with Rosemount swim & dive coach Jacob Kemna
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — A Q&A with Jacob Kemna who is the head coach of the Rosemount High School swim and dive team.
What team/club do you coach?
Jacob Kemna: Girls and Boys Swim and Dive Program for Rosemount High School.
How long have you been coaching?
Kemna: I am currently in my 10th season at Rosemount. I started coaching the sport in college as a summer job and did a couple of years as an assistant coach at East Ridge after college before coming to Rosemount.
What is your background in this sport?
Kemna: I was a swimmer for Orono High School starting in 8th grade and then went on to swim at Gustavus for my 4 years there.
What is the biggest life lesson you鈥檝e learned from being a coach?
Kemna: Humility. I always think that there is someone somewhere that does something better than me and I want to learn how they do it. It also makes me look at what I鈥檓 doing every year and understand what worked and more importantly, what didn鈥檛 work.
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
Kemna: We have the 鈥�100 rule鈥� in both programs. You give 100%, 100% of the time. Whether it鈥檚 practice, a meet, technique work, or playing a game. The whole team buys into this and really creates the culture that we have and has led to the success that we鈥檝e had. I think something else we do very well is our strength training. Coach Del Pino (girls strength coach) and Dr. Conboy (boys strength coach) have really taken us above and beyond with their expertise.
How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?
Kemna: Losses are an opportunity to learn. We allow ourselves to be disappointed and feel the loss. I鈥檓 a competitive person, so I鈥檓 not going to pretend that it doesn鈥檛 suck to lose. We do teach them to lose with grace though and understand that there鈥檚 a difference in wanting to win, and hating to lose. If you hate to lose, you will do whatever it takes to not lose again. Therefore a loss is an opportunity to get better. It doesn鈥檛 take the sting away but it gets them looking forward and not dwelling.
Describe your proudest coaching moment.
Kemna: Honestly I don鈥檛 know if there is a specific moment. What has given me the most pride is the culture that our staff and the athletes have created here. This has been a historically successful program well before me and to come in here and create our own culture and still create that same success was a tall and intimidating task.
What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
Kemna: I hope that when I leave that every person who has been in contact with this program feels some pride and ownership of this program. Whether it鈥檚 a current athlete, alumni, coach, parent or just a fan. If you can come in to our program and uphold the expectation and culture that we have here that should be a sense of pride you can carry with you the rest of your life. If that makes sense.
Anything else you鈥檇 like to add?
Kemna: None of what we do here is possible without the people supporting me. I have a wonderful wife, Meghan, who has made what I鈥檓 doing possible. I also have a great staff who have helped create what this program is, specifically Emily Gabriel. She has been with me since day 1 and is a Rosemount grad and I have leaned on her time and time again and this program would not be where it is without her.
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