Many families experience sibling rivalry. Who is taller, who finishes their homework first, or who does mom like best? In their final year competing together in high school, Hilton varsity swimmers Jared (senior) and Justin (sophomore) Enser have used their sibling rivalry as motivation to now hold a combined 12 school or pool records.
“Both boys hate losing even more than they like winning, Hilton varsity head coach Jeffrey Sadowski said. “This season in the 14 individual races they have competed in, each one of them has only lost one individual race.
“They both love a good head-to-head battle while racing and find ways to squeeze out victories just when you think they don’t have anything left in the tank.
“Over the past ten years of coaching varsity boys at Hilton, I have had a lot of brothers come through the program. There were plenty of times you could sense some sibling rivalry. But with Jared and Justin, everyone knows the rivalry between the two of them, and it is easy to see at practice each day. They train together and are always racing.”
As this is written, Jared holds three individual school records in the 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 100 backstroke; two relay school records in the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay, plus two relay pool records in the 400 Freestyle Relay at Canandaigua and at Hilton.
Justin owns one individual school record in the 50 freestyle (breaking the previous mark held by his brother), and swam with his brother for the four school and pool records in the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay.
Jared has swum state cut times in four events (50, 100, 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly) as one of the area’s most versatile swimmers.
And every good coach knows what buttons to push to get the most out of their team as Sadowski recalled. “In relays when they were both in their early high school years of eighth-grade and freshman year I always put them last in relays and made sure that they would be behind by a significant amount. Jared and Justin love to chase and being relied on to handle the pressure of coming from behind to win.”
Q: What goals did you set for yourself this season?
Jared: “My goals heading in this season was to get as many state cut times as possible and further diversify my swimming portfolio. Take as many names off the team record board as I could.”
Justin: “This season my goal was to make state cuts in multiple events (50 free & 100 free). My goal was to go under 22 seconds and take my brother’s school record in the 50 free. I also want our relays to win Sectionals, make state cuts and get the team records.”
Q: What has it been like competing together?
Jared: “When you win with your brother, it’s a different experience – it is better. It’s cool to see our last name up there twice on the relay record board. There’s a sense of pride in that sight. Because there are two of us and the level both of us are competing at, to competitors we have become the ‘Enser Brothers’ – for the most part – we are no longer just ‘Jared’ or ‘Justin’ Enser.”
Justin: “I like the competition and it really motivates me. It makes it twice as fun having my biggest competition on the team being my big brother. It’s a different feeling to be congratulated by your brother, rather than just another teammate, when you get out of the pool. Jared was the first one to congratulate me when I broke his 50 free team record. It will be weird next year without him. I have been swimming with him since I started.”
Q: Is there any sibling rivalry as in trying to beat the time of your older brother or making sure the younger brother doesn’t beat your times?
Jared: “Yes, there is a little bit of sibling rivalry every time we jump in the pool. I want to make the records harder for him to break so that I can graduate before he touches them. Having a younger brother in the next lane is different than just competing against another teammate – it becomes personal in and out of the pool. I believe it motivates both of us to compete harder. At times we aren’t just going against the team, but we are going against each other for bragging rights at the kitchen table.”
Justin: “Yes, a lot! It’s always a fight between us for that number one spot on the team. I believe the sibling rivalry has made us both faster. I have had to chase Jared’s times since the first day I got in the pool. At age 10, Jared held some of the club team records and I worked extra hard to go after every one of them. For the first few years I swam varsity, I was known as ‘Jared’s Little Brother’ behind the blocks. I had to fight and compete hard to make a name for myself.”
Q: What drew you to swimming?
Jared: “Like most kids, I tried almost all sports, then my parents had me go to a trial for the Hilton Area Swim Team. They tell the story of the first night I asked if I could jump off the diving board, they may have said yes to get me to go. I still think my parents ‘strongly encouraged’ me to go for the first few years. Swimming is also one of the greatest forms of exercise; it helped me burn off a lot of energy when I was young. When I was seven, I liked getting ribbons, which made me want to keep competing. Swimming is a team sport, but it is also a very individual sport. This means that it is up to each person on the team to motivate themselves to train harder and push themselves. If you have a bad swim there is no one to blame but yourself; I like that accountability.”
Justin: “When I was five, I spent a lot of time at the pool watching my brother swim. At six, I just wanted to get in the water and compete, I was bored in the stands.”
Q: Why do you think you have been so successful in the sport?
Jared: “The support from my parents and coaches has helped me become successful in this sport. Coach Jeff has been my coach since I was seven; our long-time bond has helped him know what works best to motivate me and push me to be the best swimmer I can be. My club coach (who happens to be my pediatrician), known as Dr./Coach to my family, has helped me become a stronger swimmer – encouraging me and analyzing my technique. Having two coaches who collaborate and want to see me succeed has pushed me to believe in myself, stay motivated, and work even harder than I ever have.”
Justin: “The work I have put in and always wanting to beat Jared’s times. My coaches motivating me and putting time and effort into getting me to where I am today. My teammates pushing me each and every day.”
Jared is wrapping up his high school swimming career and plans to compete in college, though he has not yet decided where to attend.
And Justin still has two more years to beat his brother’s times and add the Enser name to a few more Hilton records.
