Ask this group about their favorite part of summer, and the answer comes fast—swim team! 

Lisa Konz sits down with the full coaching team, including Head Coach Ben Donges, along with Lucca Ray, Connor Reid, Delaney Smith, Logan Reid, and Porter DeLappe. What stood out most was simple. Every one of them grew up right here, and now they are pouring that same experience back into the next generation.

Tracy Russ, Swim Team Director
A Windward mom and Creek View teacher, Tracy has deep roots in the sport, swimming competitively at the University of Kentucky. Her leadership sets the tone for a fun, supportive, and skill-focused season.

Ben Donges, Head Coach
Returning for another season, Ben has been part of the program for years, even swimming here as a kid. Now a rising junior at UGA, he brings great enthusiasm and a natural connection with swimmers, making him a favorite!

Lucca Ray, Assistant Coach
A recent graduate of Blessed Trinity and soon heading to college in Nebraska, Lucca brings an impressive lifelong swimming background to the team. She leads Windward's Little Waves and works closely with small swim groups, helping young swimmers build confidence in the water.

Connor Reid, Assistant Coach
Connor, a rising sophomore at Blessed Trinity, has been in the water since age four. He’s known for leading Fun Fridays, helping with meet entries, and running stroke clinics, all while keeping kids excited about swimming.

Delaney Smith, Assistant Coach
A rising junior at AHS and lifelong swimmer, Delaney is in her second-year coaching. She’s fantastic with younger swimmers, bringing energy through team spirit, weekly awards, and encouragement.

Logan Reid, Junior Coach
A dedicated year-round swimmer and rising 8th grade Webb Bridge student, Logan is in her first-year coaching. She works closely with Little Waves, helps plan theme nights, leads team spirit, and helps younger swimmers feel comfortable in the water.

Porter DeLappe, Junior Coach
Another year-round swimmer and a rising 8th grader at Rivers Academy, Porter brings great energy to practices with Fun Fridays and stroke clinics, helping swimmers improve while keeping things light and engaging.

Logan: I’ve been swimming since I was about four and started year-round swim around 11.

Porter: I started on swim team when I was around eight, then moved to year-round swim when I was 11.

Connor: I’ve been on Waves since I was four. June has always been the highlight of my summers because of swim team.

Lucca: Same here. I started when I was really young and just stayed with it.

Delaney: I joined the Waves when I was little and this is always what I look forward to every summer.

Ben: I actually started swimming at Windward when I was six. I grew up swimming and started coaching alongside my dad at 14. I always knew I wanted to do it.

Porter: I wanted to help kids fall in love with swimming without it feeling too intense.

Logan: I always looked up to the coaches when I was younger. It just felt natural to want to do the same.

Connor: June was always the best part of my summer. I wanted to help create that for other kids.

Delaney: I loved my coaches growing up. They made it fun and I wanted to be that person for someone else.

Lucca: Same here. Watching the coaches when I was younger made me want to step into that role.

Porter: It’s challenging but still fun. You are always working on something.

Logan: It’s more personal. You are always trying to beat your own time.

Lucca: I like the variety, especially events like the IM where you get to do everything.

Porter: Freestyle and the 100 free.

Logan: Breaststroke and the IM.

Connor: Breaststroke. Both the 200 and the 50.

Delaney: Butterfly, but I love the 50 freestyle race.

Lucca: Backstroke and the IM.

Porter: Encouraging and fun. Not too strict.

Logan: Confident and someone younger swimmers feel comfortable around.

Connor: Someone who helps kids feel safe, especially when they are nervous.

Delaney: Patient and positive.

Connor: Just being there with them. If they know you are right next to them, they feel a lot less scared.

Delaney: Watching a swimmer go from being afraid to swimming a full lap on their own is the best part.

Logan: Working with the Little Waves and helping them build confidence early on.

Ben: We are building on what we started last year. More stroke clinics, more development, and a lot of focus on the younger swimmers. We are also bringing back fun traditions like themed meets and team spirit.

He laughs as the team chimes in about favorites like Neon Night, Hawaiian themes, and the always popular “Blue Out,” where even Coach Ben joins in all the way, sometimes with blue hair to match.

From first-time swimmers to seasoned competitors, the Windward Waves coaching team shares one simple goal: make every moment in the water fun. It’s especially awesome to have Coach Ben back on deck this season, and his energy has a way of bringing out the best in everyone. If you ask around, you might hear what Connor said with a smile: “He’s everyone’s favorite.” Ben just laughs and says, “I’ll take it.”