If you are passionate about competitive swimming but are unable to make a full-time commitment to it, there is a solution for you! Drexel University’s club swim team is the remedy to cure your cravings.
Erin Valle, 4th year breaststroke swimmer and the team’s treasurer gave insight into how the team operates, what the co-ed teammate bond is like and how the atmosphere feels at swim meets.
“Our team atmosphere is very relaxed… We’re all pretty good friends with each other, we like to josh around with each other and it’s mostly more social than we are competitive… Since we’re not on the D1 team, we’re mostly just there because we all love to swim and just want to keep doing it,” Valle states.
She also mentions the coach, Coach Max, is a student and the practices are run by all of them-the coach and the team collectively. When asked if there has been any notable contributions to the team this year, Valle states, “We have an entirely new E-board…our president, Ian, is very much the organized one. [He is] making sure we all have our heads on straight.”
The breaststroker also shared how the club swim team coach contributes to the team in many different ways. “He mostly watches everybody swim, he’ll time you on his phone to make sure you get an accurate time and to see if you qualify for a national meet,” Valle said.
She also mentions the club swim coach, who is their invaluable asset, that goes above and beyond to locate weaknesses within each player to perfect their techniques.
There is more to the team than just swimming, this team is tightly bonded with each other. During meets, practices or huddles, the team is proud to not only call each other teammates, but friends as well.
“We did a Halloween get together at one of our members’ houses and we just kind of hung out, talked, got all dressed up in costumes and had a nice time together. We also did an outing to Linvilla Orchards back in October to go apple picking and get apple cider donuts together… Sometimes after practice, maybe the girls and the guys—all of us together will go to insomnia cookies or we’ll go and get Ed’s [pizza] or we’ll go to Coco’s [Creamery],” Valle shared.
She also describes what the team support looks like at a meet.
“The team itself, we are all very supportive of each other so if one person is swimming, there’s usually someone at the end of the lane cheering them on, and the entire team is always on the sidelines of the pool cheering you on as well.”
On a final note, Valle acknowledges how covid had an impact on the team and how they’re overcoming the unavoidable setback— lack of bonding for incoming classes.
Valle mentions, “Our secretary, Hannah, she is really into team bonding and making sure our social media is up to date, making sure that we are all doing things that are not just swim related so that we can all get out and have the freshman and sophomores, who are on the team who weren’t really able to get out because of covid, be just as bonded as the juniors and seniors are.”
If this team filled with support, bond and activities seems like the fit for you, consider becoming affiliated with the club sport. Also, you can go show your support for the club swim team as they travel to Villanova’s Jake Nevin Fieldhouse Pool for a date with the Wildcats on Nov. 19 at 12:30 p.m.