Ravens Swim Team Honors Longtime Coach Rich Hanson

When Royal Oak High School swimmers hit their marks Wednesday evening – the first day of the Oakland Activities Association boys swimming and diving championship – coach Rich Hanson will count himself lucky to be there cheering on his team.

The 65-year-old Ravens swim assistant coach has been with the team since 1989, but had to take a break in the fall when he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.

Hanson and the team got a sweet Valentine’s Day present when the coach received the all-clear from doctors, who said the cancer was gone.

 “I really felt guilty that I didn’t know the first-year kids as well as I should have,” Hanson said.

Senior swimmer Brandon Gray has been with Hanson since he was a freshman and explained the assistant coach is known for mentoring the freshman class along. “He helped me learn the ropes and establish a base foundation for what I am now,” Gray said.

Teammates agreed this week’s competition will have more meaning as they compete with Hanson on the pool deck and in their hearts. “It makes me want to win it for him,” senior swimmer Lucas Bogan said.

“He’s one of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet,” said senior swimmer Zachary Donnelly. Other words the boys used to describe Hanson include awesome, streamlined, dedicated and one of the sweetest guys you will ever meet.

Swim teammates said they found out about Hanson’s illness right after Thanksgiving break. “I was hoping for the best,” said senior Lawrence Cuneaz. “He’s a big influence on me.”

The team has shown its support in a variety of ways, including dyeing their pre-championship meet Mohawks burgundy before shaving their heads bald for Wednesday’s prelims.

“It let him know we know what he is going through,” Donnelly said. Gray said he believed the support would help Hanson feel better.

The team also created burgundy and ivory team shirts this year, the two colors representing head and neck. Traditionally, team shirts are blue and black, the Royal Oak Ravens High School colors. Head swim coach Darrin Millar took the T-shirt devotion to the next level, asking swim team alumni for their favorite Hanson sayings to print on the back of the shirts.

“I thought it was a tremendous honor,” Hanson said, adding he can’t believe everyone would do something so nice for an old man like him. The way the boys welcomed him back was the kind of thing you would hope for if you had sons of your own, he said. “The whole swimming community was very, very supportive,” he said.

Hanson’s appreciation and devotion to the team is apparent just by watching his interaction with the team. His animated smile reaches far when he talks with the swimmers.

Being poolside is commonplace for Hanson, who swam for Royal Oak Kimball High School 1959-63. His daughter, Jill Hanson, is record-holding Royal Oak swimmer and volunteer assistant coach.

“Everything has turned out wonderfully,” Hanson said.

The boys are happy he is back on their side. “I knew he was really dedicated,” senior Jacob Masen said. “In the back of my mind, I knew he would be there.”

The OAA competition begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at . Thursday night divers take center stage and the final round of championship competition begins Friday.