Austin Swan is this week’s Olympia Athlete of the Week. Austin is from Hopedale and will be a senior this year at Olympia. Since his freshman year, Austin has been on the varsity wrestling team and was a starter on the varsity football team in his sophomore season. As a senior, Austin is looking to have another successful year in sports, as he will be back out on the field and on the mat this fall and winter. 

This year, in football, as a senior, Austin was selected by the class of ‘21 seniors to be a leader for the team. As a leader on the football team, there is a competition within the team. Each leader drafts a team of guys on the team for their “offseason team” and they compete against other leaders’ teams earning points each week. Austin’s team has been doing very well this offseason, with a 3-1 record through four weeks and his team’s only loss was to the first-place team that is 4-0. Austin has already taken on his new leadership role, with a large group of seniors leaving from last season, there were many leadership roles that needed filled. Olympia’s Head Football Coach, Coach Lyons told me, “Austin always does a great job of being more of a quiet leader. He leads by example first. I also see him taking more of a teaching role with some of the younger players.”  

In wrestling this year, Austin will be taking on a similar role of leadership, as many seniors do. But Austin’s situation is a little different than most, given the fact that he was a varsity wrestler in his freshman year of high school.  Olympia Wrestling Coach, Coach Will Trew says, “As a coach there isn’t enough you could say about Swan! He is a coach's dream! He pushes himself to be the best he can be. He is the one kid in the room that you never have to say anything to about effort. He shows up and gives you 100% every day. As a leader, he isn't a loud rah-rah type. He leads with his actions. He shows the others what hustle is. He speaks positively all the time, no matter the situation. When guys struggle, he is the first to pick them up with encouragement. The team is always his first thought. All these attributes make him a great teammate and leader. They are also going to make him a great man, husband, and father. As a coach, that is the best feeling of all.” 

The way his coaches talk about him shows just how important Austin has been in both of his programs throughout his high school career. Even as an underclassman, Austin made a big impact on each of these programs and has not stopped making his mark since. Olympia Football and Wrestling have been fortunate to have an athlete like Austin compete for their teams.