Swimmers prepare for league championships

By Jennifer Sawyer

Correspondent

It's a good year to swim in Hampden and Wilbraham. Or so believe the staff and swimmers of the 110-member Hampden/Wilbraham Falcons swim team.

The Falcons have recently wrapped up their summer season, and will try their strokes at the upcoming League Championships.

The Western Mass Summer Swim League Championships will be held on July 29 at Art Linkletter Natatorium on the Springfield College campus. Ages 11 and up will begin their session of races at 8:30 a.m., and ages 10 and under will swim during the later session at 2 p.m.

The Hampden/Wilbraham Falcons swim club is made up of boys and girls from the two towns, ranging in ages from 5 through 18. The team practices at their home pool at Minnechaug High School. The club has seem its numbers grow over the past few years, as swimming appears to gain popularity among local families.

Robin Dunn, the president of the swim club, looks forward to a good day of competition.

"If we come in the top three, we'll be very pleased. The kids and coaches have been working very hard," she added.

Dunn is in her fourth season of acting as club president. Prior to becoming president, Dunn held the position of Meet Coordinator of the team. And swimming is in her blood, as she used to be a competitor for the East Longmeadow Marlins and has been swimming for years.

Coaches Tim Allen and Carolyn Webber add their expertise to the swim team. Allen began swimming at the age of 12. He has swam in the past for the East Longmeadow Marlins, Sunrise Swim Club, Minnechaug High School, Pine Knoll Swim School, and Springfield College.

While at Minnechaug, he set records for the 50 yard and 100 yard freestyle that are still in place today.While at Springfield College, he was a two-time national champion. Allen has been coaching the team for over 25 years.

Weber also swam competitively during her time with the East Longmeadow Marlins and Cornell University. While attending East Longmeadow High School, she was recognized as first in the state.

Weber and Allen have previously coached together at Pine Knoll Swim School and share similar philosophies on technique, which they say allows them to work very well together in a collaborative environment.

The team has summer and winter seasons, consisting of a variety of meets and practices, and Dunn stresses that the club is always looking for new swimmers to join their family. While there are not tryouts for the team, new swimmers are screened to ensure that they are ready for the program. The organization also offers pre-season instructional clinics, held in April and October, to those wishing to learn more about technique and hone their skills before the start of the season.

Webber said that the emphasis for this summer's championships is looking for personal growth among the swimmers rather than winning or losing.

"The statistics that are the most important are the best times for each swimmer. That's what helps them develop and improve for each season," she explained. "The goal is to teach technique for swimmers, so that by the time they are at the high school age, they are prepared to swim at that level. It's so important to develop technique at an early age."

Individuals interested in learning more about the Hampden/Wilbraham Falcons Swim Club are invited to visit their website at www.geocities.com/hwfalconswimclub.