Following in the tradition of sports dynasties at Villanova University, the Wildcats women’s swim and dive team has succeeded in taking 11 consecutive Big East titles, the most recent in early March, writes Colin Beazley for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Villanova swimming and diving coach Rick Simpson has a simple recruiting tactic. He makes sure that a recruit’s family sees a table covered in Big East championship trophies when they come in to talk.

“I start to use the phrases ‘championship’ and ‘winning tradition.’ As I’m saying it, it’s being backed up by some visual cues as well,” Simpson said, smiling.

Simpson and his fellow coaches, associate head coach Laura McGlaughlin and head diving coach Todd Michael, shared other strategies that go into creating a dynasty.

They pick versatile swimmers who appreciate a team effort. They make sure the team is not overconfident and they all attend self-affirming retreats.

But the number one strategy.  Culture.

“Our swim team’s like a family,” senior Maggie Kleinsmith said. “I think that’s the best part about it. If we ever lose that, we’re going to lose Big East. That’s what truly keeps us going.”

Read more about Villanova’s women’s swim and diving team dynasty in The Philadelphia Inquirer.