The pool kids are set to be the cool kids now that the Hay River Swim Club has been revived after a long hiatus.
Once a successful swim club in town, Julie Malenfant, one of the coaches for the newly formed Hay River Swim Club, said the club used to have “some really decent swimmers.”
“So hopefully we can have the same kind of quality team that they did.”
Malenfant said the previous team numbers had dwindled over the past five years.
“Then Covid put an end to it completely,” she said.
Gradually over the past two years, however, a few swimmers would meet up unofficially to do a few laps and soon that piqued the interest of four or five more swimmers, said Malenfant, who, along with fellow parent Nancy Stanley, got involved in organizing the swims for the kids.
“We practised a couple of times a week, nothing official, we would just have fun,” she said. “Then, there was more interest over the summer and into the fall and we decided we would become official and be an official team again.”
The team made an application to be part of Swim Alberta and just before Christmas was accepted, she said.
“And so, we are officially back on the map when it comes to having swimmers qualify and able to compete.”
The club now has 13 registered swimmers between the ages of nine and 13. Both Malenfant and Stanley, with the support of aquatics supervisor Mike Scott, are coaching the team.
“They are all very much beginners and now hopefully the swim club keeps growing,” Malenfant said.
And as the kids are registered in the national database of swimmers, Malenfant said they can compete in competitions.
“We are going to Yellowknife for territorials in a couple of weeks’ time, and then hopefully we will be able to host a meet next fall,” she said, adding that the teams in Hay River and Yellowknife are presently the only two in the NWT.
Before the end of the swim season, which aligns with the school year, Malenfant said they may look at opportunities for swim meets in Alberta as well.
While she said that swimming can often be a supplemental sport for kids – one that is neither too expensive or stressful in which to participate – now they will learn what it means to be a swimmer in competition.
“A lot of kids were there for the fun of it but now a lot of them are looking more and more intrigued in the actual sport,” she said. “Increased activity of any sport is good for your health. It promotes activity and well-being. It’s good for the heart, it’s good for the muscles, it’s good for the joints.
“For older adults, it’s a great sport when it comes to injury reduction. They like it for that, but I think they just like swimming and they see an opportunity to make a sport out of it and they enjoy it,” she added.
For those considering learning to swim, the best way to start is to go through basic swim lessons the rec centre offers, Malenfant said.
“They teach you the very basics - how to float, put your face in the water, blow bubbles. If you really like that and you enjoy doing laps, then swim club might be something that interests you.”