Perfect Form
False starts are the bane of every competitive swimmer. Although Johnston Hobbs (MS’98) did not suffer them as an athlete, his role as a student was another matter. He says, "Athletic success distracted me from my studies. It wasn’t until I signed a contract with my parents that I straightened up."
Even as he earned a BS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, his sights were on Bloomington for graduate school. "Having spent summers at IU for swim camp, I knew Bloomington was the place I wanted to be. I told my family I’d never wear a ring until I graduated from Indiana."
Needing Something More
Earning a master's in social science of sport from the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation had been a long-term goal. As soon as he hit campus, he dove from the starting block in perfect form, took a full course load, taught three classes a week, and maintained a serious competitor’s training regimen. During the summers, he stayed in Bloomington to work on his sport and education.
After graduate school, Johnston joined the coaching staff at the University of South Carolina. Again he excelled, helping to turn up the heat of the USC swimming program by recruiting three Hungarian Olympians. Yet as he says, "I enjoyed the coaching side of it, but knew there was something bigger for me." His entrepreneurial instinct and ties to Indiana led him and his partners to found Indianapolis Pool Management. IPM provides everything from routine maintenance to certifying and hiring lifeguards for municipal parks and commercial facilities. The company’s success has permitted Johnston to endow an undergraduate scholarship in sports management at IUB.
The Giving Gene
"My parents were always involved with charitable causes. Typically, when I ask them what they want for Christmas, they request that I make a donation to a charity." Johnston’s commitment to IU is part upbringing, part personal history, and part vision of the future. "By the time my company was two years old, I was earning more than my mother had after being part of the UNC system for 27 years. The special collections she built while a university librarian were done from a sense of service. I’m in business, so for me it naturally follows that I would support IU with a gift."
Self-admittedly, his great flaw is becoming bored easily. "I like to build something, max it out, then build something else. I’m at my peak when I’m active and moving, and that includes mental activity. Understanding how to motivate ourselves and those around us is what captures my imagination." This hard-working restlessness has led Johnston to establish another pool management venture in Columbus, Ohio. "The market is different, so it won’t be identical to Indianapolis, but I hope to make it as effective."
Remembering IU
False starts might be a thing of the past for Johnston Hobbs, but he knows that whichever lane brings him victory, every lap connects to IU Bloomington. "Every day I think, 'IU is such a terrific place.' If someone can get even a tenth of what I received, let’s go for it. Let’s create opportunities, so others can grow into their promise."
