SeattleU junior swimmer takes on the Questions

Each week, CatholicSportsNet.com will be getting to know a new student-athlete from around the country, by asking him/her a series of 20 questions - some in-depth, some lighthearted - that will provide insight into the thoughts and personalities of the men and women who are doing great things on and off the courts, fields, tracks, and courses.

Jordan Anderson is a junior swimmer and Business Economics major at Seattle University. He is the son of Raymond and Patricia Anderson and attended Newberg High School in Oregon prior to his collegiate career. He currently maintains a 3.06 GPA and was named the MPSF Swimmer of the Week earlier this season.

1. How did you get into swimming?

I got into swimming when I was in Jamaica. We had gone to a beach for the weekend and there is a crossing where the current is very strong, especially for a 5 year old. When I tried to cross by myself, I fell and was being carried out to sea. I was clawing at the sand and screaming when my older brother, probably about 100 yards away, sprinted back, hopped in the water, and pulled me out. The next week my parents put me on the swim team and I've been doing it ever since.

2. How did you choose the college you attend?

Seattle University was one of seven colleges I got accepted to, so the choice was actually very complex in itself. The only reason I had even thought of applying here was because a childhood best friend was applying here also. After a summer of sorting out the logistics I decided on Seattle University, and honestly, I wouldn’t change the decision I made.

3. What is your favorite part of college athletics?

My favorite part of college athletics is undoubtedly the competition itself. As many of my fellow athletes will relate, there is something profound about being in that moment when it is just you and the other team. You get to be apart of something great, whether it comes from yourself, or from your teammates.

4. How do you balance academics and your sport?

Haha this is undeniably a question that we all face as student athletes. For me, it took all of my freshman year to figure out a successful process. The thing that works for me is having my eye on the prize. I want to be able to add something significant to the business world, I want to be able to provide for my family, and as vain as this may sound, I’ve always wanted to drive a Range Rover. To add to that, I live with five other guys that all like to flex their intellectual muscle. Being as competitive as I am, class is my practice and sharing what I learn with them is my game time.

5. What is the hardest part about being a student athlete?

The hardest part of being a student athlete is time management. Sometimes when you wake up at 5:00 A.M. or when you have to take two and a half weeks out of your Christmas break to train, you begin to ask yourself if it’s really worth it.

6. What do you do for fun when you aren’t in class or at practice?

We play a lot of board games. The two that I mostly enjoy are cribbage and The Settlers of Catan. If you like either of these games, then you’re always invited to our house. Otherwise, I spend time with my girlfriend or read. She’s in Australia for the next 5 months, so reading has definitely moved up on the list. I just finished Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom. I recommend it. 

7. What is the best characteristic that you bring to your teammates?

I’d say the characteristic that I bring to the team is intensity. They know I hate to lose, and in high-pressure race situations I feel like they usually turn to me. There’s actually been some conflict about that in the past in regards to a get out swim, but I won’t bring up bad blood.

8. What does your team do as a pre meet ritual?

We don’t really have any. Once you show up to the pool we expect that you’re ready to compete. We like to get rowdy on our cheers for the final extra jolt needed before the meet.

9. What music do you listen to before a meet?

My friends were surprised when they asked me this question. Most of them thought I was listening to Jay-Z or Drake, but for meets I like to stick to my set playlist consisting of Explosions in the Sky, Arcade Fire, Coldplay and Streetlights by Kanye West.

10. Favorite pro team to watch?

LAKERS!!!! Since I moved to America in 1998 I’ve been a Kobe Bryant fan. I get a lot of flack for this because I live in Oregon, but I still rep them nonetheless.

11. What is your coach’s best quality?

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to coaches. One thing I’ve noticed though, is that the guys on our team enjoy being able to have a good time with the coaches. They enjoy being able to be dorks with our coaches and see them acting the same way.

12. Why is a team captain(s) so important to the team?

The team captain is the liaison between the coaches and the swimmers. Not only do they lead the team to become better swimmers and people in general, but they are also able to act as the voice of the team when it comes down to it.

13. How does your team handle defeat? What do you say to your team after a tough loss?

We have a team of fighters, so when we lose, the last thing you want to do is try justifying it. I still remember in the beginning of the year, we were in a close meet against Army and James Gilmore got out of the water after losing a race by about 15 hundredths of a second. When I told him good job all he said back to me was, “I hate losing dog fights like that.” He had a good swim, but he wasn’t worried about the individualistic aspect of it, he was worried about letting the team down in a close meet. I have a lot of respect for Gilmore.

14. What is your favorite pre meet snack?

Bagel and cream cheese for sure.

15. Favorite movie quote?

He had this idea, it was kind of a virologist idea, he believed that you could cure racism and hate, literally cure it by injecting music and love into people’s lives. One day he was scheduled to perform at a peace rally, gunmen came to his house and shot him down. Two days later he walked out on that stage and sang. Somebody asked him, why? He said. ‘the people who are trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off. How can I? Light up the darkness.’” – I am Legend

16. What advice do you have for young student athletes as they decide where to go to college?

Make sure you visit the college you want to attend. College is the final stop before moving into the real world, so make sure that whichever university you choose, their values align with your own.

17. Best smart phone app?

Tie between the New York Times and ESPN apps

18. How do you think your involvement in college sports and academics will benefit you when you begin to look for a job?

I’ve learned a lot in college, both in the classroom and in the pool. Things like: hard work, determination, leadership, competition, teamwork, and time management. I believe these are all core values that drive our economy, and hopefully will drive the work environment I choose to be apart of also.

19. What cheer and/or motto do you do or say with your team before a swim meet?

We don't have a set cheer or motto before a meet. We have a list that we cycle through. However, my favorite cheer, and the cheer I like to do the most, is the random letter cheer. The leaders of a cheer yell out a random letter and then everyone else calls back. After you do that about 5 or 6 times, then you call out "What does that spell?" and everyone starts to yell and jump. Its a rowdy and fun cheer. It really gets your blood pumping.

20. What is your proudest athletic achievement?

My proudest athletic achievement so far is making it on to the Jamaican National Team. I went and swam with them in Jamaica the summer before I came to Seattle University. It was an honor to be able to put on my country’s colors and compete with the some of the best the Caribbean had to offer. That is something, above all else, I think will stay with me even as my swimming career is coming to a close.