GREEN RIVER — A familiar face is taking over the Green River High School swimming program this season as Allen Clark begins his first year as head coach of the Lady Wolves.

Clark takes over following the retirement of longtime coach Colleen Seiloff, who spent 31 years coaching in Green River and guided the program to multiple state championships. Clark is no stranger to the program, having served as an assistant coach with the Green River High School teams for several years while also working with the Sweetwater Aquatics Team.

The transition into the head coaching role for the Lady Wolves and Wolves is one Clark is looking forward to.

“It is very exciting to step into a new role,” Clark said. “Both teams look to be strong and are a bunch of fun young adults.”

His years as an assistant have given him an opportunity to learn the demands of coaching both high school and club swimmers while seeing firsthand what goes into building a successful team.

“For the past few years, being both an assistant coach with the high school teams and the club team has given me experience in what it takes to make great teams and better people,” Clark said.

That emphasis on developing athletes beyond their performance in the pool will remain a major part of Clark’s approach.

“We ask a lot of our student-athletes, so be sure that we have fun makes the 12 weeks better,” he said. “These are hard sports. Also remembering that the goal is not always winning championships, but as a coach making better people through swimming and diving.”

With a new head coach comes an opportunity for returning swimmers to take on larger roles within the program. Clark said he expects the team’s juniors and seniors to provide leadership as the season progresses.

“They had great girls in the past to show what it takes to be a Wolf,” Clark said.

Clark also enters the season carrying lessons from Seiloff, whose long tenure established a strong foundation for Green River swimming.

One of the biggest lessons Clark took from his former head coach was the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, particularly during the difficult middle portion of the season.

“This can be hard around week 7 and 8 when everyone is tired and in what we call the drudge of the season,” Clark said. “But having a positive attitude makes it better.”

Clark also learned the importance of strategy, including making difficult lineup decisions and being willing to take calculated risks.

“Sometimes, you have to take a risk,” he said. “Plus thinking about what can happen and trying to plan ahead.”

As for the Lady Wolves’ strengths this season, Clark sees potential in the relay events and the middle-distance races. He specifically pointed to the 100-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle as events where Green River could be particularly strong.

The early portion of the season, however, will be focused less on results and more on establishing the foundation necessary for those performances later in the year.

“Technique and conditioning will be big points of emphasis in the first few weeks,” Clark said.

Clark views swimming and diving as sports built around repetition and consistency, making the development of proper habits an important early-season priority.

“Swimming and diving is about habits so you have to focus on making great habits,” he said. “That will make the girls stronger athletes.”

While Clark plans to make some changes as he takes over, he does not intend to overhaul a program that has enjoyed sustained success.

“We plan to keep the core program intact,” Clark said.

The team’s two-a-day practices and weekly plan will remain in place, although Clark plans to make changes to some morning practices and introduce activities the program has not previously used.

At the center of those changes will be three values Clark wants to emphasize: pride, tradition and excellence.

For Clark, the first season is ultimately about seeing how all of those pieces come together.

“To see how the plans all come together,” Clark said when asked what he is most looking forward to. “As I said above, these sports are hard. We ask a lot of these young adults to pass their levels and it is great to watch. I also look forward to seeing where we go as a team.”

With a new coach, returning leadership and a program foundation built over decades, the Lady Wolves enter the season looking to establish their own chapter while continuing the traditions that have made Green River swimming successful.