Swimmers laugh it up after a great, fun Intrasquad Meet.
Swimmers from Willer’s Killer Whales and Jim’s Desert Sharks start off the blocks in an individual event.
Terese Butler
On Saturday, March 2, the SaddleBrooke Swim Club held their fifth annual Intrasquad Swim Meet at the DesertView Pool. To the delight of all the participants and volunteers, after a week of cold weather, the day dawned bright and sunny. The team was divided into two squads, Willer’s Killer Whales and Jim’s Desert Sharks, who faced off in some pretty hilarious swimming.
The club’s intrasquad swim meet is like no other swim meet you will ever see! It is filled with events that don’t exist at any other swim meet. For example, the relays included the 100-yard sidestroke, the 100-yard dog paddle, the 100-yard fin kick only, and the 100-yard any stroke but freestyle events. Each squad fielded three teams of four members for each relay and it was interesting, indeed, to see swimmers attempt strokes that are never swum at practices!
The meet began with the sidestroke relay, which set the tone for the rest of the day. After the announcement was given for swimmers to go to their starting positions, it took almost five minutes for the event to begin. Since the total distance swam in the relays was 100 yards, each swimmer on a team only swam 25 yards, which means that each team had two swimmers at one end of the pool and two swimmers at the opposite end. You could hear such phrases as “Ted, you’re in lane four, not lane two” and “Sue, you’re on my team, not Steve’s team!” and even “Where the heck is Jack?”
The individual events were interspersed among the relays and followed the more traditional events that are swam at meets. All four racing strokes, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, were swam in 100-yard and 50-yard races. Added to these normal race distances, the Intrasquad Meet always holds 25-yard distance races, which offers an opportunity for club members who don’t usually care to compete an opportunity to swim short races in a casual setting.
After the swim meet was completed, lunch was enjoyed by all participants and volunteers. Much laughter could be heard as participants recounted their efforts to swim the dog paddle and sidestroke. It was a fun day for all involved.
The purpose of the SaddleBrooke Swim Club is to encourage participation of all SaddleBrooke residents in swimming for fitness, recreation, and the opportunity to join in competitive events within an environment dedicated to promoting the sport of swimming. At www.saddlebrookeswimclub.org, you can find information about free swim programs that offer lessons for individuals who don’t know how to swim, as well as clinics for those who are looking for stroke improvement. See you at the pool!