Charlotte Reis is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge High School for AZPreps365.com.

GOODYEAR — Out in the West Valley, a husband-and-wife team are building up a high school swim program, one stroke at a time. 

Desert Edge swimmers know them as “Coach Kwan” and “Coach Tate”. Kwanichok and Emerst Tate have led the school’s swim program as head coach and assistant coach, respectively.

Kwanichok Tate has more than 30 years of swimming experience, including competing as a national swimmer for Thailand. She coached the couple’s three children, who either became swim coaches or national swimmers themselves.

Emerst Tate is a Marine Corps veteran who served for more than 25 years. After being discharged, he took up swimming as a hobby and joined his wife at Desert Edge when she became the head coach last year.

“She needed an assistant coach, and one day she just said, ‘You got to do it,’” Emerst said with a laugh. 

At meets, Kwanichok leads the warm ups, while Emerst handles everything behind the scenes: carrying the canopies, making sure the swimmers are fed and reminding the parents of the gear they need to bring. 

During practices, they keep an eye on the swimmers and regroup to provide feedback, each bringing a different coaching perspective..

“There’s yin-yang coaching on the team,” Emerst said. “She drives them on time, while I am more laid-back and chill.”

After two seasons, the duo has made an impact at Desert Edge, teaching more than 12 swimmers, with most coming into the program without any experience. Even after the season is over, the team is eager to continue training.

“I told them that we don't have to practice anymore,” Kwanichok said. “But the kids told me, ‘No, we want to come back tomorrow.’”

Even Archie Koenig, a parent of one of the swimmers, has seen the attitude toward swimming shift in his son, Alexander. 

“Before he was kind of just swimming to have an activity,” Koenig said. “Now, with Coach Kwan and Coach Tate’s guidance, he’s really trying to be the best.”

They also made a considerable impact on the team’s parents. In just a year, participation with the team has increased from providing food to becoming more involved in their children’s swimming.

Parents, including Koenig, have noticed how much time and effort the Tates put into the team.

“They always give me tips, tricks, things he needs to work on,” Koenig said. 

To help Alexander improve, the Tates offered to provide club swim practices and sessions in the weight room. 

The results of their dedication have been evident this season. All 12 swimmers on the team, including Alexander, lowered their personal-best times by more than 10 seconds, and some were close to qualifying for the state meet. 

Participation for the team has decreased over the past couple of years because of swimmers graduating and a lack of experience. The Tates try to recruit students by participating in Desert Edge’s Freshman Kickoff, where kids can check out the different sports the school offers.

To increase participation, the Tates are planning to host a swim clinic during summer break, where students can learn how to swim. That way, when practices begin next season, the team can grow.

In addition to hosting a clinic, they are fundraising more than ever for the team. That includes organizing events, selling spirit wear and going door-to-door for donations.

As they work to rebuild participation in the program, the Tates have left a lasting impression on the community. 

“They are not there for the paycheck,” Koenig said. “They are there for the kids.”