Why Summer Swimming Will Always Have My Heart
By Nicole Farina, Swimming World College Intern (From the Archive)
Sometimes on the first day of class, a teacher will ask you to describe yourself, or explain who you are to the group. My answer to this question hasn’t once changed.
“I’m a swimmer.”
I take a whole lot of pride in being a swimmer. It’s who I am, and it always will be. I’ll probably keep calling myself a swimmer until I’m 30. This stems from the swim community that I had the amazing pleasure of growing up in.
When I look back at my childhood, I immediately think of summer swim team. Starting when I was six, that place and that team quickly became my second home for years to come. I could go on for days talking about the memories I made and the friends that I made them with. But the moral of the story is this: Being a Piranha at that tiny pool tucked away in the woods of my neighborhood shaped me into the person I am today.
Photo Courtesy: Nicole Farina
Sometime along the journey that I embarked on after my mom signed me up for the team, I fell in love with swimming. Maybe it was because of the satisfaction of finally swimming butterfly legally after my favorite coach had worked with me for weeks.
Maybe it was because of the pancake breakfasts that we had after a fun practice of playing Sharks & Minnows, and running behind our coaches as they led us to the baby pool to make whirlpools.
Maybe it was because of the Wednesday nights, the nights that I lived for. The nights spent on our diving boards, screaming our hearts out during the freestyle relays swum in the dark that the fate of our meet depended on.
And maybe it was all three. Whatever it was, this love that I first experienced on my summer team, like most of us, pushed me down a long road in the sport of swimming. But crazily enough, it’s led me right back to where I started.
Photo Courtesy: Nicole Farina
I’m still surrounded by the things that made me develop my first passion for something, almost 15 years later. I’ve come full circle at the place that taught me what it means to be a teammate, a cheerer, a competitor, a hard worker, and most importantly, my favorite thing to identify with, a swimmer.
And I couldn’t be happier giving back to this sport, in hope of inspiring a few kids to find the magic of passion for swimming in themselves, as I was so lucky to find.
I still live for those Wednesday nights, but I live for them in a different way. I live for standing at the side of the pool, clipboard in hand with my kids behind me. I live for cheering on the swimmers the same way that my coaches cheered for me: knowing that my voice will 100% be gone on Thursday morning.
Photo Courtesy: Nicole Farina
I now lead that charge to the baby pool that I used to be in the back of. And I still have that feeling of satisfaction. But this time, I feel satisfied when the eight and under girl I’ve been working with finally figures out how to keep her feet together during butterfly.
Everything that little me loved as a Piranha, from our constant and catchy cheers to the whole team running through a huge banner, still makes my heart so happy. While my swimming journey has taken me lots of places, it’s pretty special that it’s taken me back home, too.
I have nothing but love for my club, high school, and college adventures. But summer swimming made me a swimmer. And it will always have my heart.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Connie Villani Weakland Matt Villani April Hendricks Brad Callahan Tara Callahan DeGeorge Dana Jenean Kim Pfarrer DiJoseph loved our summer swimming days
Good times !!!
The best memories !!!!
Best times. Kids now a days have no idea what they are missing!
Still looking for a swim team for my 9 year old step son. Any ideas??
Where are you?
Right now west orange but hopefully by the summer denville
April…Lakeland hills would be a good place to start. And summer there are a couple fun lake leagues in Denville
Great heart to heart comments.Love your essays .Summer swimming is and always will be your happy place Looking forward to read great stories in the future You have many to tell
Jamee Jorgensen
Wow thank you so so so much for this ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Ryan Miller
It has been almost 50 years since I started swimming summer league at age 6 at Linden Pool in Mansfield, OH. I remember the excitement of some meets coming down to the final free relay and the greased watermelon game at the swim team banquet. I just came back from swimming at the gym.
We’re you a parkwood piranha? That is our team! Celebrating 50 years this year. Youngest is a senior and my oldest is now coaching. I was a parent rep for a few years.