Swim team to teach kids
LAUREN O'BRIEN
News Writer
Throughout this month, members of the Saint Mary's swimming and diving team will hold swimming lessons for children in the South Bend community.
Though swimming lessons were not available last year, they have been offered in the past, said Greg Petcoff, coach of the swim team and assistant director of athletics at the College.
When Petcoff came to Saint Mary's in the fall of 2001, he decided to take a one-year break from offering the swim lessons to work on reorganizing the program.
This year, Petcoff enlisted the help of junior Amy Kleinfehn, a newly-elected co-captain of the team, and together they created a lesson plan for the 4-week program.
The swim lessons were mostly advertised in South Bend parochial schools, but they are open to the entire South Bend community. Nearly 70 children participate in the lessons, which cost $50 for eight sessions.
According to Kleinfehn, teaching swimming lessons during the team's off-season serves multiple purposes.
"Nearly everyone on the team has taught swim lessons before," Kleinfehn said. "It is a good way to raise money and bond as a team."
Money raised will benefit the Saint Mary's Swim Fund and may help fund a winter training trip, training equipment or allow the team to travel to a swim meet in Wisconsin, which would give Saint Mary's the opportunity to compete against more Division III schools.
Petcoff said he realizes that a winter training trip to a warmer location could benefit the swim team.
The most difficult obstacle the team faces is finding adequate training facilities. While the team takes advantage of Notre Dame facilities in the evening, morning practices are held in Saint Mary's Regina Hall Pool.
"When it comes down to it, it is a question of what is going to help us to be more competitive," said Petcoff. "Making us better will win out over something that is nice."
In addition to strengthening the College's swim program, sophomore Amy Nicholson views the lessons as unique opportunity to interact with children.
"A lot of women on the swim team are education majors," Nicholson said. "The lessons give us a chance to interact with kids, as well as providing a possibility for us to see each other in the off-season."
Due to the success of the lessons, Kleinfehn said there is a possibility the team will hold lessons again in the fall.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 10, 2003
