How Passaic Tech built a dynasty by Sean Farrell of The Record
Denise Aronson felt a little jealous watching the state meets all those years ago.
She was amazed by the speed of teams at postseason tournaments hosted by Passaic Tech. The swimmers were much faster than her own.
“I would watch the state meets and think, how awesome would it be to swim in one in our pool?” said Aronson, the Bulldogs boys swimming coach.
The early results for her program were bleak. She won just one meet in its first season back in 2006-07. The next few years weren’t much easier at Passaic Tech.
But Aronson understood a simple idea, the reason that drew her to the Wayne school. She could build a powerhouse and bring together the most talented athletes from across Passaic County just by having her own pool.
If Passaic Tech built it, they would come.
“When I found out that they were building the pool, I was not a certified teacher,” Aronson said. “So I started subbing up here. I said, ‘I want to coach that team.'”
The third-ranked Bulldogs were 8-0 entering Tuesday, and have developed into the program Aronson once imagined. Maybe even better.
They earned a third straight Passaic County championship on Saturday and continue to be among the most dominant squads throughout the region.
“This is going to be our Bergen Catholic,” Wayne Hills girls swimming coach Mike Shale said. “I thought it would be 10 years, but it only took six or seven. Now they’re loaded and just getting better.”
Aronson’s career in swimming began at age 14 when she started working with the American Red Cross. She was a gymnast and track athlete in high school at Wayne Valley, but was “average at best”. Coaching became her passion, and she turned into an expert on swimming technique.
“They would say to me, ‘Denise, you’re in Lane 1 fixing everybody’s stroke'” she said. “I was always good at fixing that.”
Those humble beginnings make her appreciate the talent now at her fingertips.
Brandon Matos and Piero Urteaga won individual Passaic County titles on Saturday. Two of her relay teams set meet records. She inherits a gold mine of club-level talent, experienced swimmers even before their first day of high school.
“You’re only as good of a coach as your team is,” Aronson said. “Right? If I didn’t get these great kids, I wouldn’t be a great coach.”
Aronson and her swimmers also realize the advantage they have over most opponents. They don’t have to share a pool with others in a YMCA or Boys and Girls Club. They have more time in the water to mold their swimmers into champions.
“We’re very fortunate that Passaic Tech can provide this for us,” said Urteaga, who won the 50-yard freestyle on Saturday. “Or else, I don’t think we’d have the great swimming program like we do.”
The same transformation is starting to take place for the Bulldogs girls swimming team. They were the runners-up at the Passaic County meet, rank No. 7 in The Record Top 10 and have a talented freshmen class led by Symi Lall and Vanessa Hernandez.
“When I was a freshman, we never had this [success],” senior Sophia Ciaravino said. “The team is still fairly new so it’s nice being part of a team that’s evolving.”
For Aronson, the turning point came early in her tenure when someone from Clifton chose Passaic Tech.
The swimmers were coming. The wins soon followed.
“The biggest thing is creating a positive atmosphere,” said Aronson, who went 14-1 last season and won a second straight North 1, Group A title.
“Then you build off that. Then people want to work hard for you. They want to do well. They see a program getting better every year and they want to be a part of that.”