Learning as they go: Head coach Alex Charvat and the Conifer HS girls swim team
CONIFER, Colo. — This may only be the second season that Alex Charvat and Megan Walker have coached the Conifer High School (CHS) girls swim team — as head coach and assistant coach, respectively — but having sent nearly half their 20-person team to the high school state championships last year, Charvat and Walker are heading into 2025 with well-earned pride and optimism for the Lobos. “I like to focus on us as a team, where each swimmer is part of a team and their year in school doesn’t matter,” says Charvat. “I want athletes to feel comfortable learning from each other, encouraging each other and pushing each other. I want to create an environment where they want to win, instead of an environment where the coaches are pushing them to win. And I want them to learn from as many people as possible — not just about swimming, but also life.”
To that end, Charvat and Walker not only lend their individual methods and experiences as swimmers with the team, but also have the team watch videos of Olympic athletes for learning and inspiration. Many swimmers also participate on other teams with other coaches, which Charvat says contributes to their overall success. “Swim kids are some of the coolest athletes on the planet,” he says. “Camaraderie is extremely high not only between swimmers on a team, but also between teams. It’s an individual and team sport at the same time — they are extremely competitive and supportive at the same time.”
Charvat believes there is no such thing as a setback in swimming — to him, it’s all just learning. “The more competitive experience an athlete gets, the less likely they are to make a mistake during a game or meet,” he explains. “At the top level, all the swimmers are good — very good. It often comes down to who swam a perfect race. Practice is good, but there’s almost no practice substitute for the adrenaline and stress a swimmer feels at a meet. Each mistake they make is one less mistake they’ll make the next time. The good swimmers will learn from that experience and perfect their next race.”
Having been a swimmer his entire life, Charvat knows of what he speaks. He currently swims with the Evergreen Masters and won the 500-yard freestyle swim at the Colorado Masters Swimming Association (COMSA) Championships in 2024 and qualified for the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) National Championships in four events. Whether he’s competing or coaching, however, Charvat acknowledges that he, too, is just continuing to learn along the way.
“Coaching requires an immense amount of work, from preparing the workouts and lining up meet rosters to being an effective role model and leader. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for coaches everywhere,” he notes. “Being trusted by CHS, my peers and the athletes on the team to guide them to be their best is humbling. There are so many people who contribute to our team’s success. My wife, Cori Charvat, has supported me from the beginning in sharing my love for this sport with the girls at Conifer — it’s a huge commitment and I know she’s got my back at home. Megan is absolutely amazing — she’s encouraging, positive and makes practice fun. Lisa Morrow, my Evergreen Masters coach, has pushed me to become better as a swimmer [and] has genuinely helped me be a better swimmer and coach. And the parents — we depend so much on their commitment and help, and we truly wouldn’t be a team without them.”
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