LET'S DIVE RIGHT ON IN!

The boys swim team has made quite the splash this year. At their first meet on November 24, they secured second place out of the six teams, and shortly after, on December 6, they placed third out of the five teams. The boys team is a combination of Clear Creek and Williamsburg, and they practice at Williamsburg with one to two meets every week. The three months of intense daily practices and meets truly shows the dedication and strength these swimmers have. 

CALVIN MONOHON PREPARING TO MAKE A SPLASH; PHOTO BY KAILEE CARVER

Even with the harsh workouts, one of the CCA swimmers, Tyler Warren, shared, “Swimming is such an enjoyable sport especially if you're surrounded by the right people.” Even though CCA and Williamsburg may be considered “rivals”, the swimmers from both schools are able to put that aside and work as a successful team. Warren has been a member of the swim team since seventh grade, stating he not only wanted to become a better swimmer, but also because some of his friends joined. Swimming includes four different strokes: backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and fly. Since his freshman year, Tyler has mainly been put in the 100 yard fly and the 50 yard fly for the medley relay. Fly is considered one of the hardest strokes to compete in, if not the hardest. However, Warren has recently expressed an interest in backstroke, and has started swimming the 100 yard backstroke. In practice, it’s normal to swim anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 yards in the two hours. It can be extremely tiring for the swimmers, but it truly helps to build them up and increase their endurance, an essential skill. 

The coach for the boys team, Jan Severns, also had some thoughts about the season thus far. “This season is my favorite so far,” she says. “We have a great group of young men who work hard and support each other! We've started out the strongest with the best times of any season so far!” In swimming, every second counts. Dropping a few seconds, or even milliseconds off an event is an amazing achievement, and is normally a very big focus for swimmers. Although it’s different for every swimmer, it’s pretty common to reach a peak around mid-season, and then slowly decline from there. This can be very hard for swimmers as low motivation and drive can make or break their season. To keep her swimmers motivated, Jan has a few different approaches, one of those being “I actually encourage the guys to motivate each other and it works incredibly well.” While it might not work for everyone, it works for these swimmers. “They all have strengths and talents and it's awesome to see them bring it out in each other!”  Being a coach for such a focused and dedicated team can be incredibly rewarding. Seeing the team apply the skills they’ve learned throughout the season, both individually and as a group always brings a smile to Jan’s face. “My favorite moments are watching these young men reach goals they didn't think they could! To swim faster and faster is an amazing feat!”

Although practicing at Williamsburg is a little unconventional, the swimmers are very grateful for the opportunity to do something they love. With the construction beginning for the new rec center, which will be located in Tiffin, there are always hopes for a swimming pool. If plans continue steadily, a second phase may happen, which has had proposals to include an aquatic center. This plan is not set in stone, but it would be incredibly beneficial for not only the swimmers, but also families looking to involve themselves in aquatic activities. In the meantime, CCA’s swimmers will continue to push through, and embrace the opportunities given.