Toni Armstrong named IAAM Swimming Coach of the Year

By Nelson Coffin
nelson@iaamsports.com

Dani Kell Steinbach, the Roland Park Country School co-director of athletics, acknowledged that the Reds’ swimming program has had its ups and downs in the B Conference.

That is, before Toni Armstrong was brought on board prior to the 2022-23 season.

In that short period of time, with Armstrong in charge, Roland Park has skyrocketed to the top of the league, culminating with a championship last month. The Reds steadily gained momentum this winter, starting with a narrow 87-83 setback to defending A Conference champ Bryn Mawr before reeling off conference wins over Severn, St. Mary’s, John Carroll and St. Paul’s School for Girls.

With that rapid ascendency in mind, her fellow coaches named Armstrong the IAAM Swimming Coach of the Year.

Steinbach could not be happier with the team’s swift progress.

“Toni joined our RPCS community in the fall of 2022 and in only two seasons has quickly made an impact that helped lead our program to a championship win this winter,” she said. “With the strong support of assistant coach Laura Groseclose, and an unwavering commitment to the sport and our athletes, Toni has been able to refocus the program by creating a remarkable team culture in which our athletes can thrive.”

Steinbach added that Armstrong’s thoughtful coaching decisions prioritize wellness at every level.

“She has shown tremendous commitment to our student-athletes, getting to know them as swimmers but also as people,” Steinbach continued. “She is in tune with our Reds in ways that far exceed expectations, ensuring that each member of the team is respected and supported. She strikes the perfect balance of understanding and accountability, which was on display this winter with a redesigned practice schedule that better supported all skill levels of swimmers on the roster.

“We were a middle-of-the-pack team for several years. But with Toni and Laura as our coaches, the team had a winning record in their first season – and then an undefeated regular season this winter, with a championship win. We went from an occasional podium appearance to… 15 individual medals with podium finishes in all 11 events. Our Reds even set two new school records at championships.”

Steinbach recognized early in Armstrong’s tenure that RPCS swimmers, across skill and experience levels, were dropping times consistently throughout the season.

At least part of the success has to do with building what Armstrong called autonomy for her swimmers.

“My athletes have such strong voices,” she added. “The seniors have been with (the program) longer than we have.”

Using input from that group, Armstrong said that “mutual mentoring” between coaches and players paid off this season.

Although Wednesday classes don’t start until 9 a.m at RPCS, 6 a.m. practices were still required until Armstrong and her staff decided to alter the policy at the behest of some of the swimmers.

Armstrong said that “they talked to us about it and told us that they weren’t able to take advantage of extra time to sleep on Wednesdays. They struggled with that last year, and it hurt morale, so we made a change — and it made a big difference this season.”

Armstrong’s ability to motivate her athletes stems from skills learned as both a swimmer (at Goucher College) and a collegiate coach (Minnesota State University, Mankato).

“Toni thoughtfully constructed an arc that had everyone peaking at the right moment to be able to contribute to the championship win," Steinbach said.” As an athletic director, I can’t speak highly enough of Toni’s commitment and leadership. She is organized, follows through on every detail and is a phenomenal communicator. She asks the questions that are necessary, problem solves through collaboration, and exemplifies the values of our school community.”

Steinbach concluded that at RPCS “we ask our coaches to push their athletes to compete for championship titles, while simultaneously taking care of each other along the way. We believe both are possible, and Toni truly demonstrated that this year.”