TAMPA, FL-- Bill Shaffer lives on the side of the pool

He spends as much time at the pool as he does at home, maybe more. But swimming is a family affair for the Academy of the Holy Names and Jesuit coach. Two of his star swimmers are his sons.

“The last couple of years with Robbie and Nick on the same team, it’s been special,” Shaffer said.

Special and historic. The countless hours in the pool produce more than quality family time together. It’s produced loads of medals and state championships. Jesuit became the first Hillsborough County team to win back-to-back titles.

“That’s why I do this,” Shaffer said, “I build a family, we’re in it together, they’re all brothers and they’ll be friends for life.”

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Tigers. They lost their speed. Coach Shaffer found it in a familiar place.

“My oldest son Robbie, I asked him, I said would you be able to give up your second individual event to swim on all three relays?” Shaffer recalled. “He said, whatever is best for the team dad.”

A proud moment for coach and dad. Two different roles that intertwine occasionally.

“They’ve got to know that there’s a line between coach and dad,” he said. “Sometimes I have to go home and say you know that was coach talking to you, an they’re like I know.”

“He definitely looks at us and wants us to do our best, so he calls us out when we need to work harder and we do that,” Robbie Shaffer said. “But favoritism? Personally, I don’t feel any favoritism. I see him yelling at everyone else equally and working with everyone equally.”

And Coach Shaffer wants the pool to be a place of peace.

“One of the biggest rules my dad has with the swim team is we leave our attitudes and problems out of the gate,” Robbie said. “When we jump in the pool, it’s just so relaxing and it takes your mind off of everything that’s happened throughout the day.”

Since 2012, a Shaffer son has been in the pool at Jesuit. Oldest son Tommy, who now swims for Army West Point, helped the Tigers win back-to-back state runner-up trophies and also claimed individual gold. This was Robbie’s last season with the Tigers, while Nick has two more years. Soon, they’ll be swimming for college coaches. One day, the only Shaffer at Jesuit will be on the deck.

“It’s very nice to know that he’s here to coach us but it’s also going to feel weird not swimming for him,” Nick Shaffer said.

“I was coaching before they were in the water, I’ll be coaching after they’re in the water,” Shaffer said, “but yes, there is that special, special bond.”