On October 20^th, new and old swimmers met at Armstrong Atlantic State University for the first practice of the swim season. The turn out was amazing, the team had doubled in size compared to previous years. It seemed with Michael Phelps breaking world records in the Olympics this year, swimming received much attention and everyone wanted a piece of the action.

     Students from Savannah Arts Academy, Windsor Forest, H. V. Jenkins, and Sol. C. Johnson High School all showed up for practice. Unlike other high school sports, all Chatham County high school swimmers train together. At first it may seem strange, but being with other schools creates a supportive environment. Swimmers cheer for each other, no matter what name is on their cap. It helps prove that students from SAA are like regular kids, just with more responsibilities that come with attending an art school. With this mindset, swimmers experience a fun-filled and nurturing setting that allows everyone to do their best.

     With practice Monday through Thursday for an hour and a half a day, all swimmers have greatly improved. At meets, both boys and girls are consistently winning races against the other schools. Karen Capps, one of the three coaches for the team said, “The new swimmers look completely different than when they first started. Swimmers from last year are still improving and dropping time.” With results like these, swimming is starting to get more exposure.

     Unfortunately, news about the swim team is hard to come by. The final results of the latest meets are not published until a few days afterward and even then someone has to call the local newspaper for it to be published. With the hectic lifestyle of a coach, this is usually forgotten and people do not hear about the outcomes. Already, SAA has won a second place trophy and the regular season does not end until January 31^st.  For swimmers who qualify, the State level competition runs from February 11^th to the 14^th.  

     Swimming is a lifetime sport. It is a great cardiovascular sport that does not result in serious injuries, which makes it a good for cross training. People who have never swam before keep with it because of its many advantages. Freshman Kimberly Stastny said, “I mostly joined because I love being in the water and I couldn’t really find any other sports at Savannah Arts that interested me. It was a lot different than I expected, but it was so much fun. Everyone is nice and the coaches are helpful and experienced swimmers are always willing to help you. No one laughs at the new people and I am definitely swimming next year.” As the season comes to an end, some students will later join summer teams while others take a break from their hectic schedules, but one thing is for sure, the swimmers will end this season with a splash!