SWIM TEAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

Jackson Swim Team coach Sally Loughary gives tips to swimmer Joey Starke, son of Joe and Betty Starke of Jackson.

Now in its 20th year of existence, the Jackson Swim Team has grown from a small summer program to an organization that operates year-round, offering Jackson children the opportunity to compete locally and regionally and learn important lessons along the way.

The team was formed in 1975 as a summer activity for Jackson children. Today, it is active year round, participating in both summer and winter events.

The team boasts 25 members ranging in age from 5 to 18 years and is growing as the city of Jackson grows, according to Sally Loughary, who has coached the team for the past three years.

"From years past, 25 is a large group and we're picking up five or six children in our beginners group each year," she said. "As word-of-mouth and publicity about the team has grown, so have we."

Team members currently attend four, 1 1/2 hour practices each week during the winter. Practices in the winter and spring are held in the evenings at the Cape Municipal Pool. During the summer, team members attend chilly 6 a.m. practices at the municipal pool in Jackson.

Parents say the sheer involvement required of the swimmers helps them learn valuable life lessons.

"Swimming the four fundamental strokes is not what the program is all about," said Gerald McElrath, a past president of the swim team's board of directors. McElrath's son Cory has been a member of the Jackson Swim Team for the past four years. Cory competes in the 11- and 12-year-old category.

McElrath believes his son and the other team members learn the value of discipline and hard work in attending the frequent practices and working to improve individual lap times and team points totals.

The team competes year round in American Athletic Union events during the summer and in United States Swimming events during the winter.

"Swimming is a good way for the kids to learn goal setting and there's a lot of self-discipline in it," said current board president Sarah Nussbaum. "Swimming is individual competition but it's also a team sport, too, and the kids are constantly trying to improve their times and also competing for team points."

In swimming, both individual and team points are awarded. The team with the highest number of individual winners or placers in a meet wins the team award.

Other rewards exist as well. Pam Jackson, publicity director for the team, says her daughter Meredith was able to find a niche of her own as part of the swim team.

"My son John was involved in so many other sports and Meredith was always tagging along as we took John everywhere," said Jackson. "One day she brought home the form and said, 'Can I do this?" and I said, 'Sure.'

"I thought she was sure going to have to be disciplined to get up at 6 in the morning for practice but I never have to call her twice," Jackson said, adding that her daughter, now in the 13- and 14-year-old category, takes pride in helping younger members.

"She likes to help the younger kids," Jackson said of Meredith. "She likes it when they look up to her. They seem to have a real team spirit."

This team spirit and strong bond have emerged since Jackson swimming became a year-round sport.

"They really bond by swimming year round and you really see that during the summer," said Loughary.

The work and cooperation on the part of the members of the team is often equaled by that of their parents.

"We have a good group of supportive parents and that's the lifeline of the organization. We were put to work pretty quick after we joined," McElrath said, laughing.

Nussbaum agreed, saying that such support is vital to the small swim program. "We have really good parent support. You have to have that kind of support when you put on meets because there is so much to be done."

In addition to the support of parents during meets, the team is guided by an eight-member board of directors. The members of the board: Nussbaum, president; Cindy Wine, vice president in charge of membership; Bo Troxell, vice president in charge of swim meets; Pam Jackson, publicity director; Janet Statler, treasurer; Cheryl Heck, newsletter editor; Carol Horst, secretary; and Bonnie Poytress, treasurer.