Swimming: Briarcliff Manor Gets Off to Fast Start

Briarcliff Manor’s entry in the Northern Westchester Swim Conference has gotten off to a 2-0 start, courtesy of home wins against A.L. Ehrman (271-198) and Lakeside (291-231).

The team had its first loss of the season on Saturday at home versus Pleasantville, 255-237.

Briarcliff is in Division II and its participants are between ages 5 to 18.

“We have a strong lineup, we have kids who swim year-round and a good coaching staff,” Coach Rhonda Jeffay said.

Jeffay is joined on the coaching staff by her daughter Melissa Jeffay, who will be a senior at this fall. This is the third summer that Melissa is coaching the divers.

“She started out as the youngest diving coach in the conference,” Rhonda Jeffay said.

Also on the coaching staff is Eric Jeffay, her son, who will be a junior at the Culinary Institute of America this upcoming school year.

As for working with her daughter and son, Rhonda Jeffay said she loves it.

“It’s great,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “They know me best, they work very well together, they are hard workers. They do a lot of my computer stuff and they do my lineups. It has really worked out well.”

Ryan Wilson, Samantha Sommer and Lindsey Whalen also make up the talented coaching staff.

“They are great kids, who have known each other for awhile,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “They work well together.”

Who also works well together are the participants on the Briarcliff Manor squad. Rhonda Jeffay says that she lets her older swimmers help out the younger ones which helps build team camaraderie.

The Briarcliff Manor swimming coach says another thing that helps build team camaraderie is the work that its parents committee puts into the team.

“They do a lot of things, whether it’s the concession stand or bringing treats to after practice,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “They are a big reason for the team bonding that we have.”

These types of activities make the team's connection about more than just swimming.

“We are fun too,” Jeffay said. “We have a DJ dance party, we have pizza party, we do different things that help make us a tight group even though we are big. We have 108 members [including both swimmers and divers].”

One reason why the team is so popular is because the swimming is just the beginning of a full day of activities. The team starts its practices at 7:15 a.m., and by 8:45 a.m., many of its members are on a bus going to Briarcliff Day Camp.

“Many of my swimmers can go right to camp and I think that’s a big draw also,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “They get dropped off at 7:15 a.m. and don’t go home until 3 p.m. They go right to camp. They eat breakfast when they are done practicing, they take it on the bus. I can put 40 kids on the camp bus.”

What also makes swimming for Briarcliff Manor an attractive option is that it is a real self-esteem boost according to its coach.

That’s because there are also “B” meets and those that don’t swim in the dual meet can do so in the “B” meet.

“It makes the kids feel really good, they love to get their ribbon and being part of a team,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “It’s nice that you have a team of five years olds right through those that are 18 years of age rooting for each other.”

Then if the above weren’t enough reasons for swimming or diving for Briarcliff, there is also the prestige of being on team that will host the all-star meet July 31.

“It’s been held at Briarcliff for the last three, four years,” Rhonda Jeffay said. “It is an honor. We have parking, we have the help to run it. We have the lifeguards to set it up, man it. It’s definitely is a big honor in the Northern Westchester Swim Conference to be able to do that.”