gmhTODAY 14 gmhToday May June 2017 | Page 31

Gilroy Gators
The Gilroy Gators Swim Team ( GGST ) is a great opportunity for grade school and high school children who want to swim competitively for their athletic and educational advancement . The Gators ’ team philosophy is to emphasize and reward continuous selfimprovement . From the standpoint of the swim team ’ s coaches , it ’ s all about the hard work and dedication of every swimmer on the team . Last winter , the Gators hired Gilroy newcomer Wayne Norris as their new head coach . Norris intends to support the GGST mission and create even more opportunities for the most serious swimmers in the program . With over forty years of coaching experience , including thirty at the collegiate level , Norris knows what it takes and what colleges are looking for , and he wants to do all that he can to help swimmers earn the scholarship of their choice .
Norris is currently restructuring the Gators team and rewriting the requirements for each group of swimmers . There will be eight groups , with the more advanced swimmers working out twice a day during the summer . Despite this focused schedule for the most dedicated swimmers , Norris described the Gators team as a “ novice type program ,” and indicated that some programs require twice a day workouts all year long .
But as reflected in their mission statement , the Gators club is not exclusively for those swimmers competing for college scholarships . “ The younger kids and less serious older swimmers will have more free time ,” Norris explained . Throughout all levels of the program , he said , “ We have a high percentage of swimmers who improve , and great parent support .”
Norris said he understands that younger kids are still trying to sample different sports and decide what they like . “ But by thirteen or fourteen they ’ ll want to decide whether to swim for the enjoyment of it , or if it ’ s going to be a stepping stone into college .”
The team currently includes swimmers as young as four and up to seventeen years old , but with his collegiate experience Norris would be happy to coach swimmers in their twenties .
Practices are held at Gilroy High School ’ s two , 25-yard pools — one competition depth and the other a training pool that ’ s three and-a-half feet deep . The club operates a year-round program , with a one-week break after short course season ( late April to early May ), and a two-week break after the long course summer season .
During the short course season , there ’ s one workout a day , five days a week in the late afternoon to evening — depending on age . Norris said swimmers are expected to attend seventy to eighty percent of their practices , but he ’ s more lenient with younger kids . “ I want everyone to stay on the team ,” Norris said .
Before Norris retired from college coaching , he always told everyone he wanted to return to age group coaching . People would say , “ After all your experience , why would you want to do that ?”
Norris explained , “ I actually enjoy watching kids improve no matter what age , as long as they are happy and they enjoy the sport . I enjoy working with the seven- to eight-year-olds as much as my older swimmers . The kids surprise me sometimes at a swim meet by swimming a lot better than at practice , and I think ‘ Where did that come from ?’ It ’ s a lot of fun . And there ’ s still room to help the more advanced swimmers .”
Norris said he feels the program is headed in right direction . “ We have better turnout with kids all the time .” He added that the Gators ’ April swim clinic was well-received . “ We ’ ll bring in kids and help them learn all the strokes , and hopefully they ’ ll want to join the team .”
Visit their website at teamunify . com to learn more .
Aquatics Center in Morgan Hill
The City of Morgan Hill has an outdoor Aquatics Center on Condit Road and an indoor pool at the Centennial Recreation Center ( CRC ) on Edmundson Avenue . Lisa Rick has served as Aquatics Center Coordinator since October 2012 . She manages programming ( including the Splash Aquatics program ), and staff , as well as swim lessons and pool maintenance at both locations . Anna Bielecki , the CRC ’ s Aqua Coordinator , manages the lifeguard staff and yearround aqua fitness classes for adults at both facilities .
According to Rick , Morgan Hill Splash Aquatics hires only certified coaches , who teach students to compete in swimming , diving , and water polo sports . Children can participate on the swim team beginning at four to five years of age , depending on ability , and up to 18 years old . She said interested swimmers need to be able to swim a lap ( 25 yards ) of freestyle and a lap of backstroke , but they don ’ t have to be perfect — that ’ s what the coaching is for . The team practices five times a week .
“ Our goals and purpose ,” Rick said , “ is to provide healthy attitudes toward competition and promote the sport
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MAY / JUNE 2017 gmhtoday . com