The Swim Team is Eager for the Season to Begin

The Ipswich Swim and Dive Team is one of determination, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Since last season, the team has broken several records and sent five swimmers to Sectionals and States, and are hoping to add a diver to that roster this season! 

Last year, the girls had a strong season, and the boys, who did well, could have used more swimmers. The captains for this upcoming season have set goals for the team to carry on this season and in the future. 

Senior Captain, Elsa Anderson, has been club swimming since she was seven and joined the team during her freshman year. One of her goals is to strengthen the team so that they can be successful this season as well as the following seasons. Elsa stated, “I also want to change the way we’ve been practicing so that the team can accelerate towards their personal goals as well as win meets.” She hopes to do this by implementing different routines, drills and sets to improve their times.  

In their usual practices, the swim team does exercises related to improving technique and learning how to race at different speeds. When it comes time for a meet, they write each other positive messages and push everyone to put their heads in the game.

Captain Grace Campanello said that team members “made little posters out of printer paper for everyone.” She said one of the biggest motivations was when former Captain Joanna Mullen sent text messages the night before each meet.  Campanello stated, “It really helped us try our best.” 

Swimmers also do a lot of team cheers to make everyone feel encouraged during a meet and to compliment each other after races. It is safe to say that team spirit, motivation, and encouragement go a long way to making the team feel accomplished and stronger. 

Last season the team had two new coaches, Alex Beauvais and Jessie Spencer. Alex was on the swim team when he was in high school and was an assistant coach prior to last year. The main thing Alex noticed when becoming head coach was that he could do things his way by finding the ‘drive’ in athletes and encouraging them. After swimming throughout college, he wanted to see what it would be like on the other side of the deck.  He said, “The main thing that made me want to coach was to test my limits and see what I could accomplish.” Alex hopes to make Ipswich “the powerhouse I know it can become.” He notices that some swimmers may feel intimidated going up against another, “and that they need an extra push” when it comes to meets. His mentality is that “It’s you against the clock; that’s it.” He wants to keep the same positive mentality that the team had last year and hopes the program will grow more popular so that more students will join, keeping it “fun yet hardworking.” 

With the unique sport comes a team unlike any other. Swimming works every part of your body, and because of that, it can be a pretty hard sport. That being said, Elsa stated, “The team has the most camaraderie of any sport out there.” Swimming is hard to do as a team because times are based individually, but the team still comes together to support each other. They are all close friends and are working together to reach a common goal: improving their scores. 

Ipswich is also the smallest team in the league, which makes them tight-knit. The captains hope to put their own spin on the team this year, keeping the mentality, closeness, and fun that the captains brought last year.  If you are interested in joining the swim team or have any questions, contact Elsa Anderson at [email protected].