Calling all swimmers to the pool! Take your mark—Beep! Winter swim has officially begun and Spartan swimmers couldn’t be more excited.
A majority of the team has been preparing for the upcoming season by participating in club swim during the off-season months, making sure that they are conditioned and ready to start workouts right away.
Though the team has lost some very good swimmers due to last year’s seniors graduating and moving on to college, senior and four year swim team captain Amy Burke is still optimistic about how well the team can do this season.
“We have gained some really fast swimmers,” said Burke, “but success also depends on how well we work together to achieve our goals.”
The loss of seniors can take a toll on a team, but with strong incoming freshmen and upperclassmen stepping up to the plate, it is possible to rise to the occasion and perform well.
Head swim coach Kristy Kellogg strongly believes in the importance of “team culture”. Though this can sometimes be challenging due to club teams focusing on the individual aspects of swimming, the high school team encourages the dedication to teammates, character building, and having fun.
“Sure, every swim and every dive team has an individual component to it, but it’s in the context of bringing about the teams’ best performance” said Kellogg.
Team activities like riding the bus, singing altogether, and eating team dinners gives the athletes time to bond. Team unity is what allows the team to thrive and be successful.
“I’m looking forward to the fun atmosphere that high school swimming has,” said senior Aiden Pastel.
“It’s a lot less stressful than club swim.”
The WS swim team had their first meet in early December against West Potomac and their season will end in late January against Lake Braddock. The team will then proceed to postseason: conference, regionals, and states. Swimmers and coaches alike believe that the team is going to perform very well, and are excited to see their results. Their biggest competitors this season are predicted to be Lake Braddock and Woodson for the boys, and West Potomac, South County, and Woodson for the girls. The swim team is staying focused and keeping their eyes on the prize, all in hopes of winning first place at conference this year.
“A conference team title [has been] a goal for us every year,” said Pastel. “But this year we have a very good chance.”