By Carole King
Coach Haley Marchant, who is in her tenth year as coach for the Independence High School Lady Swim Team, speaks to Vype Media about the Lady Bulldog Swim Team’s hopes and dreams, and how “Teamwork makes the Dream Work” for her ladies.
VYPE: How is the 2025 season looking for the Lady Bulldog Swim Team?
The Bulldogs dove into the 2025 season with a strong showing of several individuals placing in the top 10 at meets with 6A and 5A schools and some even winning their events, according to Coach Marchant. The team finished strong in April, winning fourth out of 11 at the KC Turner meet (Kansas City) on April 22, fourth at Marion on April 25, and won First Place at the Fort Scott vs. Independence vs. Parsons (Pittsburg YMCA) meet on April 29.
“This season, Indy Schools have a cooperative agreement with Coffeyville since their pool is broken. This means both schools are practicing together, attending the same meets, and scoring points collectively,” says Marchant. “The Bulldog ladies are still very competitive with the Coffeyville swimmers and want to make sure they have faster times than Coffeyville girls.”
VYPE: What are your hopes and dreams for your lady swimmers in 2025?
“My hope for these ladies is that they recognize that even the smallest improvement is reason to celebrate!” Coach Marchant says.
“At the beginning of the season each year we write our personal goals on the window at the pool. Each day we walk by this window and look at our goals. I always tell the girls it takes lots of small steps to reach a big goal.
“Some want to make the 5A-1A state meet in May, while others want to reach a certain time by the end of the season. A few ladies simply want to be in better shape! No matter what their goals, each step these ladies take to reaching their goals is a step more than they would have taken without them, and something to be proud of.”
VYPE: How important is team work to your success?
Teamwork makes all the difference, Coach Marchant says. This year’s season started with a direct example of how teamwork saved the day and gave the Lady Bulldog swimmers a winning edge.
“Lady Bulldog Swimmers are very involved in other school activities, including Marching Band.
“Earlier in the season the swim team and the band both had competitions on the same day, a band competition in Pittsburg followed by a swim meet in Emporia, Kansas! We were determined to make it work for the girls both ways!
“Michelle Foster, our Booster Representative this year, helped communicate that there was a schedule conflict early enough in the planning stages that the school was able to arrange for a driver to bring these swimmers back from the band competition in time to load up on the bus with the rest of the team and head to Emporia for the swim meet!
“Michelle provided lunch for these ladies to eat on the bus because they didn’t have time to eat at school, the turnaround was so quick. Our Lady Bulldogs ended up winning the Emporia meet! None of this would have happened without the support of Michelle, the band director Erin Shelton, and the high school admin. We want to give a big shoutout to all three for their teamwork in making this great achievement possible!
VYPE SPORTS congratulates Coach Marchant and the Independence Lady Swim Team on a great season in process with more wins to come!
About the coach: Coach Haley Marchant became head coach of IHS High School Girls Swim team in 2015. In addition, she is head coach of IMS Volleyball, Head coach of IHS Boys swim team, and head coach of the summer Independence Rec Swim Team. When she is not coaching, Haley teaches PE at Eisenhower K-2.
