Without her experience serving on the Mizzou swimming and diving team from 2008-11, Lisa Nathanson's time in Columbia, Mo., may have looked quite different. The opportunity to perform for head swimming coach Greg Rhodenbaugh and former head coach Brian Hoffer gave her collegiate experience even more meaning than she ever expected prior to joining the team in 2008.
"I can't imagine not having continued swimming through college - to represent Mizzou is so exciting and I truly appreciated every day that I swam for Mizzou," Nathanson said. "All my favorite memories from college involve swimming in one way or another - primarily the wonderful people I was able to meet here."
The West Des Moines, Iowa, native recorded several milestones prior to beginning her career with the Tigers. As a member of the West Des Moines Swim Federation, Nathanson earned lifetime bests of 23.23 seconds in the 50 free, 51.15 seconds in the 100 free and 1:53.98 in the 200 free.
Nathanson joined the Tigers within the midst of a period where the swimming program was starting to become a nationally recognized side. Her decision to come to Columbia, Mo., was greatly influenced by the fantastic season put forth by Mizzou in 2007, when the swim team earned third place in the Big-12 championships, beating out rivals Kansas and Nebraska in Austin, Texas.
"I saw that the team was improving each year, and I wanted to be a part of that growth and help Mizzou make strides towards its potential," Nathanson said. "I enjoyed being with the team and I thought the academic programs were excellent and the campus was impressive."
During her junior season, Nathanson broke the MU All-Time record in the 50-yard freestyle at the Mizzou Invite and again at the Big-12 Championships, recording a score of 22.68 seconds. In addition, she was named to the Academic All-Big-12 team and was recognized as an honorable mention to the CSCAA Scholar All America Team.
Nathanson works among many other recent accomplished Mizzou athletes in the athletic department's development office, using the leadership and tactical skills that she developed throughout her time as an undergrad. Her knowledge of the swim team's system and expectations makes her a great fit to work with freshmen, who of course have to adjust to the demanding schedule of a Division-I athlete.
"I think that as a student-athlete I had to improve my efficiency at getting things done, and that has transferred over into working in athletics," Nathanson said. "As a student-athlete our schedules are so full, year-round. There are certain months where every weekend was filled with either a meet or hosting recruits. I had to work my class schedule around practice which can be tough to do - I kind of enjoyed challenging myself to create the most perfect schedule so that I could somehow fit all my classes in and leave time to recharge or get a snack before practices. I wanted to be able to be completely ready for practice in order to be my best. Those same goals have transferred over to my career as well – I want to have all the information I need, I want to be prepared and have the knowledge I need for whatever task I am doing."
During her time within the classroom, Nathanson went above-and-beyond the required work expected as an undergrad, let alone for a student-athlete; and worked towards a double major in business and psychology. The relationships that she built with the staff of the athletic department's development team guided her in a direction to make her feel confident in her goals once her time as an undergrad and student athlete ended.
"In general, I've been interested in the athletics and higher education field since I was a student athlete," Nathanson said about pursuing a career in college athletics. "I remember thinking that working in athletics would be such a good fit, mostly because I saw the impact that those staff members made on myself and my fellow teammates. The positive experiences from when I was a student-athlete made me see this as an avenue that would be exciting, challenging and a chance to make a difference."
While she certainly spent a majority of her time in the pool or at class, Nathanson understood that the environments outside of those areas held a great amount of significance as well. It allowed her to foster relationships that extended beyond her native realms that ultimately pushed her outside of her comfort zone and develop as an individual on Mizzou's campus.
"I am honestly so thankful for the dining hall at the MATC [Mizzou Athletics Training Complex]. I felt it was the absolute best time to bond with teammates and really develop further friendships. Having that place where everyone went after practice really made it feel like a family. It was helpful to keep everyone together after practice to have the opportunity to talk about swimming, classes, and everything else in life. I was fortunate to have so many role models. As student-athletes, we have coaches and staff who have our best interests in mind, and just in general have people who are looking out for us. I still keep in touch with the coaches who I had through the years."