Prep swimming: Team's support helps buoy Blake coach

This season has been filled with educational moments for Blake swimming coach Kris Rosenberg and his girls' team.

While it's difficult to say who has learned more -- the teacher/coach or the student-athletes -- one thing is certain: they have learned a lot about each other.

Earlier this year, Rosenberg, a physical education teacher who has been the Bears coach for nine years, learned his 28-year-old sister had ovarian cancer.

Last month, with his sister recovering, Rosenberg's mother was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Since Rosenberg told his team that he would have to miss some practices so he could visit his mother in Milwaukee, the team has rallied around him.

"Kris means a lot to us," said junior Keegan Dubbs, who has been in the Blake program five years, "and our hearts went out to him. We got together to think of what we could do to support him."

The team came up with several ideas.

"We thought of a gift basket and we had a dress-up day at school and one of the girls thought we should all wear pink," Dubbs said.

The team had another surprise for Rosenberg.

"We were traveling to a meet [last month] and they pulled out pink [swim] caps," Rosenberg said.

That night the team wore the pink swim caps as they edged rival Benilde-St. Margaret's 93-92 in a dual meet. The team has continued to wear the caps.

Sue Dubbs, Keegan's mother, has been impressed with how the team has showed support for Rosenberg.

"Kris is really a stoic guy. Not emotional. When he made the announcement to the team, it affected everyone," Sue Dubbs said. "It was one of those learning moments. Not many of these kids have been through anything like this. The kids have gone the extra mile."

There have been some lighter moments too.

"Swimmers think that most problems can be solved with pasta. So they made Kris a pasta basket," Sue Dubbs said.

"When I first told the team [last month], I was expecting a few 'I'm sorry' or a note or two," Rosenberg said. "The kids really surprised me. They have been tremendous. They have really come together to be supportive of me and my family."

Saturday, Blake edged Breck and Benilde-St. Margaret's for the Class 1A, Section 2 title. The three teams were separated by six points -- Blake was at 415, Breck 412 and Benilde-St. Margaret's 409. Those three teams and two-time defending state champion Visitation should be the top teams at the Class 1A girls' swimming and diving meet, which starts today at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

"My mom likes to come to at least one meet a year," Rosenberg said. "She likes to come to the state meet. She just finished her first round of chemo/radiation and is getting ready for surgery, so she won't be able to come."

The last month has emphasized an important lesson for Rosenberg, who was named the Class 1A, Section 2 Coach of the Year.

"Attitude is the key in fighting cancer -- and in swimming too," he said. "The kids' attitude last Saturday was great, and they really competed at the end."

Joel Rippel • jrippel@startribune.com