Credit to Lizeth Zacarias

Senior captain Jasmyne Moody high fives other team after a swim meet.

For any sports team, quality leadership is one of the most important aspects of team success during the season. For new senior captain Jasmyne Moody, she wants to ensure that her presence as a team captain this year for the FHN girls’ swim team does not go unnoticed, and she aspires to make a significant impact on the program’s future. 

“Seeing all the previous team captains and just seeing how they get a chance to lead and, really, like, motivate the younger swimmers has always been, like, an inspiration to me,” Moody said. “I’ve always been really excited to become team captain whenever I’m in my senior year.”

Although Moody is new to leadership for the FHN girls’ swim team, her teammates and coaches believe she possesses the qualities to make an immediate impact.

“Jasmyne really is a leader from the beginning. She always has been. She has always been vocal. She, I think, has kind of been waiting for the moment that she’s a senior and can be a leader,” swim coach Rowan Pugh said. “She constantly asks questions to try to learn more, and then she shares that with younger girls who, maybe, are nervous about asking questions or didn’t hear or whatever the reason may be.” 

Not only does Moody have the qualities of a great leader, but she is also willing to use her experience to help younger swimmers on the team feel more confident about themselves and their performance in the water.  Moody is willing to assist anyone who asks for her help. 

“Jasmyne is really awesome. She’s been on the team for as long as I’ve been on the team. This is her fourth year, so she’s very experienced. If you ever want to ask her anything, she’s got you,” junior swimmer Moira Dustin said. “She will take time out of practice to help you work on something, no matter what the coaches have planned, she’ll just ask. She’s not afraid to ask, which is really amazing, because if there’s something you’re confused about and she gets then she’ll just say ‘Hey, can we go work on this?’ And the coaches will pretty much always say yes, because they know she’s a good teacher and she’s able to teach us.”  

However, Moody doesn’t just prioritize performance in the water; she also wants to make sure that there is a strong bond between the team and make sure that everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves. 

“My priorities for the team are to make sure that we keep our fun, happy vibe and that, through our competitions, we stay motivated and that we don’t get discouraged. But at the same time, we kind of built a good structure for all of our younger swimmers to continue to swim, since we have a younger team,” Moody said. 

Within the team, Moody wants to make sure that everyone is included and feels welcome, as she wants the swim team to be a close group and be a valuable experience for everyone. 

“Jasmyne’s good at keeping everyone included, and she is not afraid to talk to anyone, whether that will be a new freshman or someone who’s just a little bit quieter off to the side,” Dustin said. “She wants to make sure everyone’s included and always has something to talk about.” 

However, Moody wants her experience as a team captain to have lasting results on the FHN girls’ swim program. She hopes that her tenure as a team captain this year will not only benefit the team this season but also instill future changes within the program and pave the way for future swimmers. 

“I think that takes the whole team working together to create that culture, and Jasmyne is definitely a part of that team, and she is definitely someone who brings positivity and helps the culture, Pugh said.