Living in the Ocean State, everyone should know how to swim.”

Bob Hassan

Bob Hassan, Bayside Family YMCA Cycle Instructor and Aquatics Coach for more than a decade, was recently inducted to the Rhode Island Aquatics Hall of Fame. He has worked hard to help swimmers earn national success, while also fostering a strong sense of community. Hassan joins his sister Marianne, in the Rhode Island Aquatics Hall of Fame.

• Question: You’ve had quite a career supporting and developing youth here in Rhode Island. Talk a little bit about your career and how you ended up in the world of swim and aquatics. 

• Hassan: “When my sister and I were toddlers, my family became members of the Bayside Family YMCA. My mother made sure that we were enrolled in swimming lessons because when she was young, someone pushed her into a pool and (she) nearly drowned. While my sister and I advanced through the swim lessons, my mother took adult swimming lessons. She would take us to family swim and when we were older, she would drop us off for youth open swim. We were always at the pool. Our swimming skills were recognized and me and my sister were asked to join the swim team. My mother became a lifeguard and swim instructor and started the aquatic program for the East Providence/Seekonk YMCA, now called the Newman YMCA.”

• Question: What is your personal connection to the Bayside Family YMCA branch? What does the YMCA mean to you and why is it important to the local community? 

• Hassan: “I often say that I grew up at the Barrington, now Bayside, YMCA. Being a member of the swim team, attending open swims, participating in classes, and eventually working for the Y, I made lifelong friends and relationships. The Y is a welcoming and safe place for people of all ages to come and get involved in many different programs.”

• Question: “What impact have you seen swim have on youth over the course of your personal and professional ventures? What would you tell parents who are considering encouraging their child to join a swim team? 

• Hassan: “Swimming, whether it be recreational or competitive, is a confidence builder at every level. I believe it is important for everyone to learn to swim as it is a skill that not only can be used for a lifetime but also a skill that could save your life. Living in the Ocean State, everyone should know how to swim. Parents who would like their child to join a swim team should look at a team that is inviting, nurturing, fun, and child-focused. Parents should realize that success in swimming is not immediate. It is always a work in progress and takes time. Victories can come in achieving goals such as learning a new stroke and achieving personal best times.”

• Question: What are some achievements related to your time with the YMCA and coaching high school swim teams that you’re most proud of? 

• Hassan: “I am proud that with all my teams that I coached, I have given the swimmers a love of the sport and the sense of individual accomplishments, whether it be a championship or reaching individual goals. Many of the swimmers that I coached went on to swim in college or the Masters Swim programs. Also, a number of my former swimmers have gone on to coach. In 2018, I was honored to receive an award from the Greater Providence YMCA for Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility.”  

• Question: What does your induction into the RI Aquatics Hall of Fame mean to you? 

• Hassan: “I am extremely honored to be voted into the RI Aquatics Hall of Fame by the members of the committee, which is made up of outstanding swimmers, coaches and swim officials who recognized me for both my swimming and coaching accomplishments.”