Longtime VSC coach Wohl retires

SANDUSKY — Mike Wohl has been an integral part of the landscape of swimming in the area in some capacity or another for the past 30 years.But the longtime coach has decided it's time to enjoy his summers away from the pool deck.The year-round head coach of Vacationland Swim Club since 1995, Wohl stepped down in May from the club that coaches young area swimmers from Sandusky, St. Mary Central Catholic, Perkins, Huron and beyond.Wohl started coaching with VSC in 1988 before taking a few years off as the head coach at Sandusky High School, where he taught physical education and health, and Huron High School, as well as managing the pool at Plum Brook Country Club.A 1980 Kent State University graduate and swimming alumnus, Wohl served as the head swimming coach at the University of Toledo from 1980-85 before he and wife Linda moved to Sandusky in 1985 to begin their teaching careers with SHS.Linda, who also coached at VSC, holding the role of head age group coach, as well as performing administrative duties for the club, was a behavior specialist for Sandusky.The duo had expressed their mutual goal to coach their own club team, and VSC gave them the opportunity to achieve that goal."One of our goals was to run our own club and we pretty much did that for 20 years," Wohl said. "Then (Linda) became the administrator and her time became too valuable to spend on the deck, so she mainly did some administrative stuff at the club — and she's still doing stuff as of even last week, she did something, but we're weaning her off that, too. We're trying to get the able-bodied people that can do the administrative stuff as well as coaching."Sandusky High School assistant coach Sarah Franklin will be taking over for Wohl this summer, with help from Rick Waldock, SHS grad Taylor Vargo, Jen Weichel and Perkins High School coach Brian Cassidy.Wohl said one of the things about coaching for VSC that gave him the most satisfaction was working with beginners and seeing them progress through high school and on to college swimming.He added that being able to coach some of the area's elite swimmers, including Kim Routh (Clemson), Vargo (Ohio State) and Geena Freriks (Kentucky), as well as his son Daniel (Eastern Michigan), and going to national meets with those swimmers in places like Washington D.C., Seattle and Southern California, was a highlight of his career at VSC."Being able to coach some people who qualified for Olympic Trials and having a hand in their success at the next level ... I just feel like we did nice things to get these kids prepared for the next level, which is college swimming, and hopefully high level swimming."At the last Olympic Trials, the Ohio State coach allowed Taylor to re-register with Vacationland Swim Club for the summer, which enabled me to go to the Trials, not as her coach, but to be able to get credentials for the Olympic Trials in 2016," Wohl said. "That was a highlight, my first trials to go watch and be a part of that, to be able to watch her and Geena was probably one of the bigger highlights of my coaching career — to be able to see their hard work come together at that meet."Sandusky graduate Molly Franklin, a longtime VSC swimmer and four-time state qualifier who's going on to swim for the University of Connecticut next season said she couldn't ask for a better coach."He has seen me at my worst, but he has also seen me at my best," she said. "He has pushed me to be better and has always wanted the best for me. Throughout the years he has dealt with me in practice and meets, and I have also had to deal with him. "It's not always easy to be fond of the person who is giving you rough sets and workouts that are very painful, but that's the sport of swimming and Coach Wohl was dedicated to making his team the best it could be," Franklin added. "I would like to thank him for putting up with me because I wouldn't be the same without him. Our relationship has been very unique, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."Franklin called Wohl her father on the pool deck, and added that he's watched her grow into the swimmer and person she is today."He developed me into the swimmer I am and he has also developed a countless number of other swimmers," she said. "I appreciate everything he has done and the sport of swimming will miss him. I don't think anyone will forget the impact he has made and a part of him will always stay with the VSC family. He will definitely be missed!"Wohl said the family aspect of the swimming community was a highlight of his time with VSC as well."Being part of the swimming community in the area has been a highlight as well — being able to work with the high school coaches and their swimmers, and hopefully have a decent relationship, has been a highlight," he said. "There's a lot of good coaching. It's like a family — the swimming community in the area is like a family."I'm just thankful to the Vacationland boards and being able to work with a lot of great families and the leadership to help Vacationland to continue to be the club that it is," Wohl added. "I also want to thank Perkins for allowing us to use their facility. We've had a long relationship, and I'm very thankful for what they've allowed us to do with them."Wohl is a graduate of St. Francis de Sales in Toledo, where he was a high school All-American and record-holder for the Knights, who won a national record 47 straight Northwest Ohio District Championships (1966-2008), and has seen many changes in swimming over the years.The longtime coach says that while he's seen positive changes in swimming in the region over his years, as far as new pools and high school programs springing up, he's also concerned about some of the negatives, especially the amount of Division I men's collegiate programs getting cut for funding and Title IX balance over the past few years."When we were high school, there weren't that many high school swimming programs in Northwest Ohio," Wohl said. "I would say, probably high school swimming and then the offshoots from high school programs having teams — more age group programs, has probably been the biggest change."One bad thing that's changed about swimming (over the years) is that men's swimming is becoming extinct," he added. "My three kids (Daniel, Adam and Jessica) all went to Eastern Michigan, and Eastern Michigan — perennial Mid-American Conference champions — they dropped the men's program this year."He added that Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Toledo, Kent State, Bowling Green and Ohio University have also dropped their men's programs over the years."The Mid-American Conference has been decimated," Wohl said. "And Wright State (Horizon League) is gone this year, so there's very few opportunities … the crying shame is that there's still a lot of swimming, but then there's not a lot of swimming opportunities in Division I for men in Ohio or in the region, because of all of these cuts. That's been tough — just not having enough opportunities for our guys to get scholarships to swim in college. There are still quite a few Division III schools, small schools in Ohio that continue to have swimming, but not Division I."That's probably the biggest negative change, but for positive changes – just seeing high schools thriving in Northwest Ohio, the smaller towns now having swimming, that's a positive," he said.Sandusky High School graduate Molly Franklin and Vacationland Swim Club coach Mike Wohl pose for a photo. Wohl, who coached Franklin for 12 years, and for VSC starting in 1988, stepped down as the club's head coach in May.Sandusky High School graduate Taylor Vargo and Vacationland Swim Coach Mike Wohl pose for a photo. Wohl, who coached Vargo and other area swimmers starting in 1988, stepped down as the club's head coach in May. Vargo, who swam for and graduated from Ohio State University, is back in Sandusky coaching for VSC now. Vacationland Swim Coach Mike Wohl, and wife Linda, pose together at a meet. The pair moved to Sandusky in 1985 and coached together at VSC starting in 1988. Mike, the head coach for over 20 years, retired from coaching at the club in May.