Peter Fishler Finds His Calling as Swim Coach

Stop by the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center during a Palisades High swim team practice and you’ll hear Peter Fishler’s voice above all others.

Since 2011 he has served as an assistant coach at the school he used to swim for and the Dolphins are fortunate to have him back. The energy, knowledge and enthusiasm he brings to the sport are one reason why Palisades continues to rule the pool in the City Section, just as it did when he graduated in 2006.

“This is the most rewarding thing I could ever do,” Fishler says. “I have a lot of pride for Palisades. I live here, I went here and I understand the culture. This program is about winning and maintaining the standard of excellence that’s always been here.”

Fishler was one of the Dolphins’ captains his senior year, which ended in controversy for he and his teammates in the City finals at USC, where the boys were going for their fifth straight section title.

“After the 200 freestyle I pushed back off the wall and one of the officials told me to get out of the pool,” Fishler recalls. “I muttered under my breath ‘You can’t tell me what to do!” Someone heard it and ejected me from the meet for “unsportsmanlike conduct,” which has never happened before or since. I was seeded first in the 100 butterfly which I wasn’t allowed to swim and they also had to replace me on the 400 freestyle relay, which we ended up losing by nine-tenths of a second.”

Palisades ultimately finished second, three points behind Cleveland.

“She was really nice about it,” Fishler remembers, referring to head coach Maggie Nance, who is still at the helm. “She was very encouraging because she knew I felt awful. I got over it pretty quickly, but that whole incident totally changed my life because it changed the events I ended up swimming in college. My coach knew my potential in the freestyle but not the butterfly so I swam freestyle all through college even though I’d been training for butterfly.”

Fishler swam collegiately at Franklin & Marshall College, a Division III school in Pennsylvania where he was a 12-time Centennial Conference champion and made the All-Conference squad 15 times, swimming the 50 and 100 freestyle and the butterfly leg on relays.

He graduated in 2010 and moved back to the Palisades the following year. Although he’s always had a passion for swimming and has been keen on reading data and applying it, Fishler didn’t have any thoughts about coaching until college.

“What’s cool is that this is my fourth season coaching with Maggie, which is how many years I swam for her,” said Fishler, who coached at a high level club program in Lancaster, PA while he was in college. “Kids are so much faster than when I was at Pali. The times I swam as a ninth-grader on varsity would barely be good enough to make JV now.”

Fishler believes having a facility on campus, along with a water polo program, is a major reason the Dolphins are thriving more than ever before.

“Back when I was on the team we had to practice up at the YMCA pool in Temescal Gateway Park,” says Fishler, whose personal-best college times are 20.5 seconds in the 50 freestyle, 46.0 in the 100 freestyle and 1:42.5 in the 200 freestyle. “The difference is night and day. Pali’s more dominant now… deeper and with just as much top-end talent.”

Nance is delighted to have Fishler on her staff and lauds his tireless dedication.

“I can’t say enough about him. Peter’s willing to work so much. He’s inspirational with speed getting them to go fast. He’s watching every turn, every kick, every stroke. It’s a nice division of duty between us. We wouldn’t be the team we are without him.”

Fishler also keeps himself in top condition, feeling it’s important to be able to out-swim the kids “to lend creedence to my coaching.”

In addition to coaching his alma mater, Fishler is also one of the senior development coaches for Westside Aquatics, so rarely is he not at the pool. His priority right now, though, is guiding the Dolphins to another City championship.

“I definitely think we should do it,” Fishler says with confidence. “If everyone swims to their capabilities I think we have too much depth for the other schools.”

— Steve Galluzzo