The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is proud to celebrate former JETS Swim Team coach Tim Hill, who was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Fame as a member of its 2026 class. Hill was honored during a special ceremony held in Orlando last weekend, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the sport of swimming and his lasting impact as a coach and mentor.
“I appreciate being recognized by my peers, but the bigger thing was getting to see many of the swimmers and coaches that I have worked with and getting to hear how they are doing. I really hope that I was able to impact them in a positive way,” he said.
A native of New York, Hill said he had an attachment to the Y from an early age.
“I have been a Y person for as long as I can remember. Because both my parents worked, I basically lived at the Y until they got home. I’ve always believed in the Y tenants of mind, body, spirit. That is still part of my DNA and how I approach things.”
Hill attended George Williams College in Chicago and held positions at YMCAs in Oak Lawn and Sarasota, Florida before serving as JETS coach from 1977 to 1980.
“It was a very diverse community and the parents group always wanted to do what was best for the overall program. I remember the parents bought an old school bus and fixed it up. They made it into the Joliet JETS bus. Whenever we made trips, we jumped in the bus and we kind of became the talk of the Midwest at swim meets. The kids loved it,” he said.
Hill helped former JETS swimmer David Sims qualify for the Olympics in 1980, and he would later have coaching stops at Southern Illinois University and Arizona State University. In total, more than 140 swimmers earned All-American honors under Hill’s leadership. Beyond guiding individuals to success, Hill said he has always emphasized the importance of teamwork.
“Coaching is our vehicle to help people go through the process of growing and learning. We’re first and foremost mentors and teachers. And being part of a team matters. No one is successful on their own,” he said.
Though he now lives and coaches in Texas, Hill says he has remained connected to the current JETS coaching staff, led by Dave Hedden and Manny Arriola. And, with the Greater Joliet Area YMCA celebrating its centennial in 2026, Hill said the Y continues to shine as an example of building strong teams and strong kids.
“Kids want to be a part of something, and know that somebody cares about them and wants them. The Y is a place for fellowship,” he said. “Technology is good – phones, computers, and the like – but we spend less time in community today, and I think the Y provides a very necessary tangible component to community.”
We once again congratulate Coach Hill on this well-deserved recognition from the ASCA, and we thank him for his many years of service to the Y and his incredible contributions to the sport of swimming. Through his passion for the sport, he has helped foster a lifelong love of swimming among young athletes in our community and swimmers from across the nation. We are grateful for the lasting legacy he has built throughout his Hall of Fame career!
The Y is made up of people from all walks of life who are joined together by a shared commitment to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. At the Y, we are dedicated to fostering a culture that promotes the goals of accepting, respecting and valuing differences amongst all members, staff, volunteers and guests, and creates a welcoming environment to ensure the YMCA experience is inclusive and open to all.
Prepare yourselves! This October, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has a series of fun activities planned for you and your family! All events are free and open to the community except where noted.
The YMCA is seeking volunteers to serve as coaches for the 2026-2027 Youth Basketball League (YBL) season. Weekly practices will begin in December, with games getting underway in January 2027 at locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties.
