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George Bole coached the St. Petersburg Masters team for 17 years. He'll vacation and retire in England.
By JON WILSON
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 27, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- A couple of months was all George Bole meant to stay.
Only now, 17 years later, is the 84-year-old who built St. Petersburg Masters swimming ready to coach his final workout. Tuesday he'll fly home to England and retirement.
But Tuesday morning, he plans to coach as usual, 5:30 a.m. at North Shore Pool.
"Because I don't leave until 10 after 4 (p.m.), you know," Bole said.
It's the final punctuation, perhaps a period in a long series of exclamation marks.
Bole departs having led the St. Petersburg Masters team -- for swimmers 19 and older -- to national titles and global recognition. Dozens of Bole-coached swimmers have earned All-America honors, the highest accolade for a masters swimmer. Another 250 of Bole's relay teams have been named the nation's best.
"He's going to be a great loss," said Bob Beach, 70, a retired circuit judge and masters swimmer. "He's certainly made a profound mark on the team and the lives of its members."
Several farewell parties have feted Bole. "I ought to retire every week," he said, enjoying a barbecue-and-soda gathering earlier this month.
About 10 days ago, Bole went to a masters meet in California. The coach said he was touched by the number of people from elsewhere who made a point of saying goodbye and telling him what he has meant to masters swimming.
"It's better than money or anything," Bole said.
The first couple of weeks of retirement, Bole will enjoy a holiday in southwest England near the coast. After that he plans to set up a Web site and continue to coach now and then.
"I'll freelance a little," he said.
He'll live with a daughter in Yorkshire, in a village where the family of the late actor James Mason still lives.
The masters program continues under a new mentor, but one well-known to the swimmers.
Longtime St. Petersburg Aquatics coach Fred Lewis, whom Bole calls "the most underrated coach in the nation," will add the masters job to his other duties.
(A poll on the masters' Web site asks this question: "Who will be the first person sentenced to sit-ups when Fred starts coaching?")
In his youth, Bole lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where a divided nation often meant Catholics such as Bole couldn't get a job. He stowed away on a ship to Liverpool and walked to Birmingham, England, where he became a precision toolmaker.
Bole's father coached swimming and played water polo. Bole himself swam, though never very competitively, he said.
Bole didn't become a full-time coach until age 47. Bole founded the British Swimming Coaches Association and in 1970 was elected vice president of the European association.
He ran his own swimming school in Yorkshire for three years, coached other club and city teams in England and semi-retired in 1980.
Some friends in Florida talked him into trying St. Petersburg, where the masters team had about 50 members. Most were what in those days were often termed "senior citizens." Under Bole, the team ballooned to 250-300 members. Many are in their 20s and 30s.
"It sort of evolved around me," he said. "I didn't do any sort of recruiting. Word got around that (the team) had a coach."
The team quickly grew to adore Bole, and the affection never diminished.
"He cares not only for his elite swimmers. He cares for his age-groupers," said Katie Perry, 66.
Writing in the team's newsletter this spring, Alexis Zubrod put it this way:
"(Bole) has said to me that there are no words to express his feelings about the team and I guess he means the love they have shown for him. But I feel there are no words to express all of our feelings for him. We love him.
"He has coached, guided and promoted relationships and wisdom that are highly appreciated and will be with us forever."
Though hale now, Bole has had four heart attacks.
About 21/2 years ago, both the masters and the younger aquatics team members demonstrated the depth of their affection. They contributed money to pay for their coach's medical treatment.
Later, physicians Bruce Day and Jack Pyhel, who are masters swimmers, documented Bole's condition for doctors in England, and the coach was able to get a life-prolonging triple bypass operation there.
It also meant Bole could lead his team to last year's World Masters Championships in Munich, Germany. No official team score was kept, but the St. Petersburg contingent claimed one of the higher medal counts.
Bole said he'll carry forever memories of his St. Petersburg years.
"I could feel the city putting its arms around me," he said.