Swim team splashes into season
This upcoming swim season for NPHS, swimmers are excited to improve as well as connect with one another and motivate their teammates. With an influx of new people and a mixture of the old, the season is looking up.
Emma Lythgoe has been coaching the Panthers’ swim team for five seasons, and is an experienced swimmer herself. She strives to push the team to do their best. “I love seeing where they start versus where they end,” Lythgoe said.
Juliana Boone, junior, has been swimming competitively since she was in the second grade, and is now on the Varsity swim team. With experience swimming for the NPHS team as well as different club teams, she has seen many different environments and been able to create relationships in numerous settings. “It’s a good environment, especially compared to other teams,” Boone said. “Everyone is super welcoming, like there’s no bad vibes at all.”
Newbury Park has a no-cut swim team, which swimmers like Carolyn Duc, senior, and captain for the Varsity team, really appreciate. “We have a lot of people which can be kind of like a lot when you don’t know everyone, but it’s really fun because you just make so many more friends,” Duc said. This style for selecting a team also allows students to grow and learn in many ways. “I think my favorite part of coaching at Newbury Park, specifically, is just when you take kids who have never been on a swim team before […] and they go from maybe barely being able to get across the pool to like, just absolutely killing it and doing well and having a really successful season by the end of it,” Lythgoe said.
A big part of the team is the community amongst the swimmers. Duc and other captains are responsible for encouraging teammates and boosting morale, creating a hard working environment. “I know that captains definitely have a leading role on the team because we help our coach with organizing. For me, it’s staying behind and helping other swimmers,” Duc said.
With practices everyday and morning practices twice a week, the team is ready for the new season. “I feel like our growth team is super strong this year. And I think we’re going to do really well,” Boone said.
With practices having just started, the team is preparing for meets and getting ready to ensure they do their best in the upcoming months. “Meets are by far my favorite part. Because you kind of get to see you get through the practice and then the meet is kind of like where you get to perform and see your progress over time,” Lythgoe said.
