A member of the Clarke Central High School swim team competes on Nov. 6. The team has experienced an influx of new members for the 2015-2016 season. “You just have to sign up and I have to run your name through eligibility,” head swim coach Emily Dowd said. “And you have to have a filled physical on file. There is no tryouts or anything like that.”
By TIERRA HAYES – Writing Coach
The Clarke Central High School swim team members have begun practice for their 2015-2016 season.
Unlike many sports at Clarke Central High School, being a member of the swim team does not require a formal tryout, allowing most students with the means to join. So far this year the team has attracted many new members for the upcoming season.
Head swimming coach Emily Dowd believes that the influx of members will be beneficial for the team, but that many have much to learn because of the large difference between swimming for a team and swimming leisurely.
“I know some of the younger kids have never been on a swim team before and so putting on a cap is new and the different terminology is new for them and so they have to get used to that,”
Freshman Riley Wilson is one of the new students who has been attending the practices so far this season.
“I joined the Clarke Central swim team for exercise and to try something new and different,” Wilson said. “Coach Dowd works really well with all the swimmers and helps us fix things we are doing wrong and always encourages us.”
The group has also retained a slew of older, more experienced swimmers. Dowd thinks that the returning members also have a lot to offer to their newer, less experienced teammates.
“They’ll rely on those older kids, though more experienced kids to help them know like ‘what do I need to bring’ (and) ‘what can I expect,’” Dowd said. “It’s stuff that the coaches(can) help with, but it’s different coming from their peers and people who have the experience of being on the team in previous years.”
With the combination of new and old members, Dowd is optimistic about the team’s future.
“(I want the members) to continue to improve swimming. It’s great to see kids improve individually, but I also want to see as many people as possible got to state,” Dowd said. “(My goal is to) just have a solid season with as many meets as we can get in and I’d like to just see the kids try their best and improve and feel confident about themselves.”
