Swim Clubs About Communities First, Competition Second

For most kids, the summer is a time to sleep in.

But for the nearly 2,500 members of the Prince William Swim League, summer means waking up at the crack of dawn each morning to compete in the sport they love.

Since 1972, the league has provided a way for kids in Prince William County to learn the sport of swimming in a community-oriented environment.

The swim clubs that make up the league give kids an introduction to the sport and prepares them for a future in swimming, but the swimmers also value the clubs for the camaraderie they generate.

“It’s really great to be with all your friends pretty much every day during the summer,” said J.J. Feden, a member of the Ridgewood Barracudas swim club. “Most of my friends do swim, whether it’s on this team or another team, so obviously a lot of kids like swimming.”

Although the league started off with just a handful of teams, it’s since expanded to include 24 different clubs throughout the region, and has become a fixture in the area.

“Swimming in this general area is booming,” said Russ Vogel, general manager of the Lake Ridge Lancers swim club. “After every Olympics you see a surge, but we’ve been in this general trend for years.”

The Lancers are just one of the teams that comprise the league, which just concluded its summer season. Lake Ridge itself has roughly 200 members, largely due to the club’s inclusive nature.

“It’s a unique and family-friendly opportunity,” said Dave Ross, the president of the Lancers. “It’s something that both boys and girls can do, starting at an incredibly young age. So, literally, you can grow up with the team, and all of your siblings can do the same thing.”

Club members also stress the strong sense of community the club fosters.

“We really operate as a family,” Vogel said. “The parents volunteer as officials and lots of different positions with the team, so it’s really a community atmosphere.”

Beyond creating a community, the clubs also serve as a good introduction to the sport.

“This is sometimes the first place kids learn how to swim,” said Cindy Woll, head coach of the Barracudas. “Michael Phelps started on a summer swim team, and then the interest grows, and they carry on. But we’re not doing this to develop Olympic swimmers, we’re just doing this to develop a love for the sport.”

Summer clubs like Lake Ridge and Ridgewood are often the ideal environments for learning the basics due to the season’s more relaxed atmosphere.

“Summer teams are not as competitive as your year round swim teams or your high school teams,” said Alison Cooper, an assistant coach for Ridgewood. “It’s a great way to start and introduce the kids to it when they’re younger.”

Grooming Athletes

After getting an introduction to the sport in the summer, it’s much easier for kids to transition to more competitive forms of swimming.

“Swimming is swimming,” Ross said. “Your techniques are the same strokes here as outside of here, so it’s not like we’re playing flag football and then going to play tackle football. They might be swimming a different distance, but they learn here how to do it the proper way.”

Swimming also offers a unique athletic experience for many members that participate in different sports during the year.

“It’s a great cross training experience,” said Lauren Downer, an assistant coach for Ridgewood. “A lot of these kids, especially our high school kids, are involved in lots of other sports, so being able to do some training that’s not running, that’s not going to the gym and lifting weights, this is a great experience for them.”

Building Relationships

It’s an experience that keeps them coming back as well. Most coaches started off with the clubs when they were just toddlers.

“I’m now 24 and have been with this team since I was 6,” Downer said. “It’s a personal investment, people want to be here, and they enjoy the interactions and working hard.”

The support of the community as a whole is also a key to driving participation. Most clubs have deals to swim at neighborhood pools, and the locals tend to support the teams.

“Everyone comes and cheers for us,” said Victoria Coughlin, a Ridgewood swimmer. “The community really helps us out and sees us as one big team that can be successful.”

Although the clubs may nominally be focused on competition, it’s clear there’s more to them than just earning some trophies.

“Winning for us is not everything,” Vogel said. “It’s a focus to get kids engaged, but it’s all about the social and the family interaction. Outside of church, it’s the next best thing.”