Nussbaum hopes to swim and play water polo in college

Stephanie Nussbaum lives for the water, which is like a second home to her. Whether its swimming or water polo, she is in her element while in the pool and has experienced success in both sports.

A senior captain for the Staples girls swimming and water polo teams, Coach Mike Laux named her as the Block S Coach's award recipient in swimming.

"I was honored to get the award and that Mr. Laux taught highly of me," Nussbaum said. "I worked hard this year and I'm flattered to be recognized."

Laux is impressed with Nussbaum for her work ethic and for stepping up as a leader.

"I'm really pleased with what she did with herself on the swimming and water polo teams," he said. "Stephanie is an incredibly bright and aware person who utilizes it in motivating kids on the swim team and her ability to play the field in water polo."

Nussbaum also earned Second Team All-FCIAC.

`It was a privilege and a goal I set for myself freshman year and it felt good to accomplish it," she said.

Being a team-oriented individual describes Nussbaum to a T. Before this year, she was a sprint freestyler, swimming the 50-free and 100-free sophomore and junior year, but the team needed her to become a middle distance swimmer because of graduation and she swam the 100-free and 200-free this year.

Freshman year, she was primarily a breaststroker, the stroke she swam during her formative years.

"I guess it came naturally to me," Nussbaum recalled. "When I first started to swim, I liked the breaststroke."

After playing water polo freshman year, she switched from the breaststroke to the freestyle. Sprinting to the ball in water polo built her skills towards becoming a sprint freestyler.

"I learned how to burst into the water [while playing water polo] instead of building into it," Nussbaum said. It [switching from the breaststroke to freestyle] wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be and water polo helped me sprint in freestyle."

Swimming the 100-free and 200-free require two different ways of doing it because more endurance is required while swimming the 200. Nussbaum's ability to adjust and utilize appropriate strategies for both races enabled her to contribute in both events.

"The 100 is about going as fast as you can for four laps while the 200 is more about strategies and pacing yourself," Nussbaum says. "Mr. Laux has helped me with strategies this year in the 200. He said `swim fast for the first 100 but swim comfortably fast and give everything I have in the second 100.'"

While helping the Lady Wreckers in individual events, Nussbaum was a bigger contributor for them in relays. She normally swam the second leg in the 200-free and 400-free relays, helping the 200-yard freestyle relay team place third at Class LL, one spot short of All-State honors.

"The key is teamwork, having good chemistry with everyone in your relay and not to miss-time your start," Nussbaum said. "You can get disqualified for miss-timing your start by a half a second and you have to be able to predict when someone before you hits the wall."

In choosing between individual events and relay events, Nussbaum prefers the latter because these events are more important for the team.

"They count for more points and I want to do whatever I can to get as many points for the team," Nussbaum says.

Life in the pool began for Nussbaum before she could walk. Coming from a swimming family, where her father's side of the tree, all grew up swimming. She took classes back then and learned how to float.

Nussbaum was born in New York, and swam for Asphalt Green in New York City before moving to Westport in third grade. Once she moved, she continued taking lessons but didn't swim competitively until seventh grade when she joined the Westport YMCA Water Rats.

Freshman year, she joined the water polo team. Her father and his family played water polo as well. Having Laux coach the team also prodded her to join it.

"Once I picked up the ball, I never let go," Nussbaum proclaims.

She was the Lady Wreckers' top offensive player with 10 goals and was one of the team's top players last year while playing the driver position. During the winter, Nussbaum plays for the Greenwich YMCA Junior Olympic team.

Her ability to distribute the ball makes her a dangerous weapon on offense.

"Practice, having good chemistry with my teammates and knowing where they were made it easier for me to distribute the ball," Nussbaum said.

Growing up, Nussbaum played soccer, basketball and softball. She was exceptional in soccer and played for the travel team for five years, but in eighth grade, she hung up her cleats to focus on swimming.

"It was a hard decision but I made the right one," Nussbaum recalled.

Leadership is a strength of Nussbaum's as she is a captain in both sports. She `s shy by nature and leads mostly by example through her work ethic.

"It's really an honor and it's helpful the girls on the swim team also play water polo," Nussbaum said. "I try to lead by example in the pool, classroom and outside of school."

Nussbaum's accolades aren't limited to the water. She's a two-year academic All-American in water polo and she's the swimming team's representative to the Scholar-Athlete banquet in June.

"It's a privilege and it feels good to be recognized because I put in a lot of hard work the last four years and it's finally paying off," Nussbaum said.

Social studies, government and economics are her favorite subjects and her ability to balance her schoolwork with athletics is instrumental to her success in all endeavors.

"Swimming and water polo prepare you well," Nussbaum says. "It teaches you time management skills with early morning practice and prepared me for college."

Next fall, she'll attend college. She's undecided about where she wants to go but hopes to become a lawyer, working for a nonprofit or advocacy organization.

Before hitting the legal world, Nussbaum hopes to compete in the water in college in either swimming, water polo or both. In order to excel in either or both sports, she has to raise her skill level.

"Focusing on the fundamentals and training longer and harder," Nussbaum says. "The high school season is short in comparison to the longer season and I'd improve more with a longer season."

Laux is confident she could play either or both sports at a Division II or III college. He says, "The great thing about Stephanie is that she hasn't leveled off as a senior and keeps getting better."