The Quartz Hill High School Swim Team’s annual swim camp was held on Saturday, February 17, 2018. As league meets slowly creep up, swimmers must begin to fine tune their strokes and techniques. Swim camp provides the swimmers with a one on one consultation with coaches in order to help refine their stroke work. In addition to swimming tips, the coaches were there to give diet and nutrition tips to the swimmers.

The camp began at 11:30 in the morning at the Eastside pool. The swimmers were urged to bring water, snacks, an energy drink, lunch, and at least two towels to help them throughout the busy four hour day. Although the camp was not mandatory, it was highly recommended that swimmers attend. It provided them with the perfect opportunity to learn new techniques and bond with captains, coaches, and teammates. In addition to this, the camp allowed swimmers to become accustomed to the venue, as the team will have multiple meets there throughout the season.

The day was kicked off with an introduction from the coaches and captains, each sharing what their goals for the team and season are and how they wish to attain them. After the motivational messages, the team was split into small groups, each group participating in an icebreaker.

The main three-hour portion of the day took place in the water, where the swimmers were guided by their coaches on how to properly swim the four main strokes. There were four groups of swimmers and four stations in the water, each with a different coach. Every thirty minutes, the groups would rotate onto the next stroke. For example, those who began with backstroke would first move onto breaststroke, then freestyle, and finally butterfly. Each group got a thorough explanation of how each stroke works. The coaches also provided drill sets to help improve the swimmers’ techniques.

Nelson Rios, a junior who has swum at Quartz Hill for three years, shared his experience of the camp. He said, “Swim Camp is one of the most beneficial days of the season. Although my technique is pretty good overall, there is always room to improve on it, and swim camp is the perfect place to do it. Every year, I find myself learning something new that betters me as an athlete.”

After all rotations were finished, the swimmers met with the coaches for a final lesson on diet and nutrition. The swimmers were handed folders stocked with beneficial information regarding meals and important health tips. The students were urged to always eat healthy meals during the season and to stay fully hydrated in order to prevent health problems. Most importantly, the swimmers were told to get a good night’s sleep every night.

Overall, Swim Camp was a success, and we cannot wait to see what the swim team has in store for us this season.