HEAD COACH – BOB CROSBY

In the fall of 1966 I entered the Henry Ford High School, in Detroit, as a tenth grader. My plans were to try out for the basketball team. In Physical Education class we were taken to the pool one day to test our swimming ability. All students who could swim were asked to swim a length of the pool, and based on how good we did; we were assigned to one of three groups. Most students, who could swim, averaged 16-18 seconds for a 25 yard swim. When I did my 25, my time was 12 seconds. My teacher was the swim coach, and he invited me to attend the swimming sports class. I became a member of the swim team that year and for the next 44 years, to the present day; I have been involved in the sport of swimming as either a swimmer or a coach.

During my high school career, I was a letter winner for all three years. I earned All-City honors each year also, and my senior year I qualified for the state meet in the 200 and 100 free events. I was the Detroit City Champion my senior year in these events as well, and I also broke the City record in the 100 Free. During my senior year, I placed 2^nd at a very prestigious meet, the Detroit News Invitational, and was awarded a full swimming scholarship to Eastern Michigan University. My senior year I was also the team co-captain.

As a college swimmer, I competed mostly in the freestyle events. I swam in the 50, 100, and 200 Freestyle races along with the 400 and 800 Freestyle Relays. Occasionally, I also anchored the 400 Medley Relay. I earned recognition 11 times as a NAIA and NCAA-Division 2 All American. In my junior year I was the NCAA-Division 2 National Champion in the 100 Free and 400 Free Relay. During my freshmen and sophomore years, my team was the NAIA National Champions, and during my junior year we were NCAA-College Division National Champions. My junior year I was also elected team co-captain. In my senior year we became an NCAA-Division 1 school as we entered the Mid-American Conference. The highlight of my senior year was winning the 800 Free Relay at the Conference Meet and qualifying for the NCAA National Meet at the University of Tennessee. In 1995 I was inducted in the Eastern Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame for my swimming accomplishments at EMU. I received my Bachelor’s degree in 1973 in Physical Education, and my Master’s degree in 1979 in Community Education.

I began my High School coaching career in 1976 at the Redford Union High School as the Head Boys coach. The next fall I also took the Head Girls job and have both girls and boys swimming every year since. In the fall of 1980 I took over the program at West Bloomfield High School where I have continued to the present day. During my years at WBHS we have won 5 Conference Championships for Girls and 6 Conference Championships for Boys. Our dual meet record for Girls is 196-124-2 and our Boys record is 197-113-2. Our highest finish ever at the State Meet for Girls was in 1985 when we finished 7^th. The highest finish for Boys was in 1999 when we finished 13^th.

Currently I am serving as the Zone 2 Vice-President of the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. I was the President for MISCA from 2002-2004. I have been recognized as MISCA Zone Coach of the Year, three times. In 2006, I was awarded the Girls Swim Coach of the Year Award from the Michigan High School Coaches Association. In 2009, I was voted the winner of the Matt Mann Award, our Association’s highest honor.

I have also been a Physical Education and Business Education teacher in West Bloomfield since 1973. Currently, I am also the Department Chairperson for Health, Physical Education, and Life Management classes. I will be retiring from teaching in June of 2010 after 37 years. I am also currently the Pool Director and Swim Coach at the Western Golf and Country Club where I started in 1976. This summer will be my 35^th year at Western.