Sid Cassidy Named 2025 Benjamin Franklin Award Winner by CSCAA
Sid Cassidy, a long-serving official and advocate for open water swimming, was named the 2025 recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award by the School Swimming Coaches Affiliation of America on Thursday.
Cassidy has spent the final 20 years at Saint Andrew’s Faculty in Florida, presently serving as its aquatics director and head coach. He has been influential within the worldwide unfold of open water swimming, advocating for its inclusion on the Olympics beginning on the 2008 Beijing Video games, and served because the director of that meet. He’s been a part of the operation of plenty of main worldwide meets since, together with the Paris Olympics.
Cassidy started serving as a coach and administrator for open water swimming with USA Swimming in 1982. He joined FINA’s technical committee for the open water self-discipline in 1996, turning into chairman in 2006. He held that place for World Aquatics on the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 4 many years of labor, he has served as a nationwide staff coach for the U.S., a USA Swimming Administrator, a Swimming Security Job Pressure member and been an Olympic official (together with a starter for the marathon swim), race announcer and race director.
Cassidy swam at NC State, an All-American and eight-time ACC particular person champion. He pursued marathon swimming professionally, swimming and training athletes who achieved plenty of feats, together with a report double crossing of the English Channel in 1991.
He coached in school, at James Madison and the College of Miami. In the highschool realm, he’s been acknowledged because the Florida Excessive Faculty Coach of the Yr on 5 events. He additionally co-owns Saint Andrew’s Aquatics and the Florida Swim Faculty, mentoring swimmers within the pool and in open water competitors. His many accolades embody enshrinement within the ISCA Corridor of Fame in 2024 and profitable the Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award from the Worldwide Swimming Corridor of Fame in each 2005 and 2020, in addition to the group’s Paragon Award in 2014.
The Benjamin Franklin Award acknowledges “pioneering people or organizations whose efforts and improvements finest promote the integrity and enhancement of the student-athlete best.” Earlier winners might be discovered right here. It is going to be given at CSCAA’s Annual Conferences and Awards Celebration in Raleigh, N.C., Might 4-6.
