After weeks of being largely confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mingus swim team is back in the pool getting ready for the upcoming season.
The Marauders had their first day of practice at the Cottonwood Aquatics Center on June 8. Due to the pandemic, there are now multiple steps that must be taken before the swimmers can take to the water. First, they must sign up for one of the 24 possible spots. Then, prior to going to the pool, they must go to Mingus and get screened.
But coach Gretchen Wesbrock said that for the most part, things feel like they’re business as usual.
“It’s weird — I have to go get my temperature checked and get my little sticker,” she said. “But once I step on deck and we start practice, I would say that it feels normal. They can’t use the equipment, they bring their own. They have to ask if they can go to the bathroom, they go one at a time. But I don’t even feel those things.”
Westbrock added that the swimmers’ lack of complaints on the changes shows their dedication.
“These young people haven’t had that structure so for them to come back and get into a disciplined
sport, it speaks volumes about them,” she said. “They’re actually working harder than they ever have at this point of the season,”
The Cottonwood Clippers — Cottonwood’s club swimming team — had its season canceled. While actually being in the chlorinated water is fairly safe, Wesbrock noted that keeping kids [especially the younger ones] socially distant both before and after swimming is a challenge.
For the high school swimmers, the Clippers’ season often served as a preseason to the high school season. Having that canceled makes the early summer practices even more important.
“It’s really nice to be able to get into the pool early with the rest of the Mingus team and getting the practice that we’d normally get with the team,” senior captain Charlie Green said. “It’s a good opportunity to get to grow as a team and as a family.”
Swimming in smaller groups has some advantages and disadvantages.
On the negative end of the spectrum, the swimmers have to have a continued focus on keeping their distance from one another. But as a positive, they get more one-on-one time with the coaches.
Incoming freshman Tristan Trezise said that because of more individualized time, he learned some skills in the first two weeks of practices that some of the older swimmers took much longer to learn.
“It’s getting easier as time goes on,” Trezise said. “At first it was harder — it’s been an adjustment. But it’s been really good. I’ve just been sitting at home, not really doing anything.”
Many of the schools that Mingus will be competing with in the fall have yet to begin practices. Additionally, other pools throughout the state — including down in Phoenix — have yet to reopen.
So, while the Marauders are facing some unusual challenges as they get back into the pool this summer, they also know that they’re in a good position compared to their potential rivals.
“I think it’s good that we are getting back into it when we are,” senior captain Sterling Sorensen said. “A lot of teams aren’t going to have this opportunity. It’s good for us to have a head start on these other teams. I think it will definitely help with our team bonding and team relationships, being able to be back out and have some social interactions — safely.”
