Though he did not compete with a swimming team at Haverhill, he excelled and lettered in a variety of other sports including basketball, football, and baseball.

[9] Silvia's fastest time in the 300 Individual Medley in 1934, was 4.00.8 for the short pool course, also a New England Swimming Association League record.

[10][11] Excelling in longer freestyle competition as well, Silvia was a collegiate All-American in the 1500-meter event his Senior year in 1934 when he served as Captain for the Springfield College team.

[13] Silvia swam under Coach Thomas K. Cureton, an honoree of the International Swimming Hall of Fame for his contributions to the science of physical fitness testing and research for swimmers as well as athletes in other sports.

[14] Cureton, widely published in his field, swam for and graduated Yale, obtained a PHd in educational research from Columbia in 1939, and later taught at the University of Illinois from 1941-1969.

[19][20][21][22] Formerly a multisport athlete as a High School student, while at Springfield, in addition to swimming, he helped coach the football and baseball teams.

[24][25] Silvia briefly coached and taught at other academic institutions between 1944 and 1945, when Springfield was forced to make cuts in their athletic programs during WWII.

Beginning with a strong inaugural team at Springfield in 1937, he inherited several AAU and state champions, and after becoming a proficient recruiter of talent, he led the team to around ten New England Intercollegiate Championships during his coaching tenure, according to several sources, including his bio in the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

[26] Springfield cut back on its sports programs in 1943 due to WWII, which prompted Silvia to seek coaching work at other institutions.

He served as the Associate physical education director of the New Haven Connecticut YMCA beginning in May 1944, where he coached varsity football and baseball.

[17][27] At the cessation of WWII, in February 1946, Silvia returned to Springfield College as assistant professor of Health and Physical Education, and head Swimming Coach.

He also mentored 1968 Springfield team captain Davis Hart who set a 1973 record swimming the English Channel.

Harry Rawstrom, twice an All-American at Springfield in the late 1930's, coached the men's swimming team at the University of Delaware from 1946-1981.

[2] His wife Ruth, who had a twenty-seven year career with Springfield's, James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, served on the board and worked as its first paid employee.