Tex

by Sandy
August 2007

He used to call me “champ” and then he called me coach.  He was coach to many, and to me he was a champ.  I believe I met Tex the same way many have.  There was an introduction and then Tex was handing me a “UT Orange” candy cane with “Attawaytogo” printed on it.  I was to hear him say that many a time over the years & on many a pool deck.  I came to understand, that was Tex, always encouraging, always bringing out the best in others, and forever applauding good and worthwhile efforts.

Among Tex’s many (many) accomplishments, and many “firsts” Tex, in the mid 1930’s, established and coached the University of Texas Swim Team. In addition, he also founded the Austin Aquatic Club (AAC). He used Deep Eddy Pool & Barton Springs as the team’s training sites.  Following Tex, after a succession of coaches including: Bill Crenshaw, Wally Pryor, and Pat Patterson, Keith Bell (my hubby) followed as Austin Aquatics head coach. Later, Keith formed and volunteer-coached, the first Masters team at UT as well as coaching the U.T. Women’s team in their first year as an official intercollegiate team. As the swimming world’s first sports psychologist, Keith helped both the UT men’s & women’s team members to success.

We were, and are still, privileged to have a friendship with Tex and his family.  An abundance of swim trips together with Tex and his wife, Pat, or “Tex and the guys” and the many lunches between swim meet sessions fulfilled my quota of gut-wrenching laughter.  Had I not been sandwiched between Tex and his buddies at those lunches, I would have many times been rolling out on the diner floor with laughter. They were so fun and full of life!  Their lives told a story of grit, humor, and historical longevity, in and out of the pool.

It was november of ’99 when I took “the boys” to midland for a swim meet.

They were the first 85+ relay in history and referred to themselves as the “dinosaur relay.”  They may have been the senior group of the seniors (85-90 years young) but they were definitely young at heart and projected that at every turn.

The event was the North vs. South Texas All-Star Meet.  When I was a kid I swam for the South in California’s North vs. South meet.  This was in Texas.  And, it too was an age group meet for swimmers 12-18. 

So . . . what were these “very” seniors doing at this particular kids’ meet?  The organizer, Steve Emmanuel, who also had a wonderful passion for documenting Texas swimming history, thought it would be nice to highlight the country’s oldest men’s relay and give the kids a chance to share in the novelty of a National Record being set by a different generation. 

There had never been 4 men over 85 on one team before.  Tex used to like to say something like: “to win I just need to outlive my competition.”  Well, he didn’t need to do that in order to win, as you can see by some of Tex’s performances – but, he did anyway. That’s Tex, always going the extra mile.

In the morning session of the All-Star Meet, the guys swam a U.S. Masters National record-setting 200 medley relay in 3:46.43, to minimal fanfare.  The kids were pretty wrapped up in their own swims, warming down, questioning coaches and parents about what to do for lunch, and so forth — typical teenage concerns.

The meet, however, got quite competitive during the evening session. During a break in the meet, the guys were up for their freestyle relay and people then began to take notice.  One by one Roy, Ben, Jesse, and Tex stepped forward from their seats on deck to be  introduced.  They began taking off their sweats and stood in speedos alone, no goggles no caps. One after another they climbed atop the starting block to wait for a teammate’s touch. 

We lost Tex yesterday.  He was 98.  My tears won’t stop.  Tex was such a special friend.

I feel blessed to have been his coach, his champ and he mine. I’ll miss you, Tex. You will always hold a special place in my heart.

Sandy
August 2007