Youth sports organizations generally focus on proper fundamentals, a team mentality, good sportsmanship and respect for coaches. At New Port Richey Branch of Tampa Bay Aquatics, however, most of that is already intact, which allows coaches to be more concerned with getting swimmers to the next level. The club is coached by Casey Claflin and Wayne Withington, two veterans of the coaching world who have found ways to make TBAY feel like a second home for the kids. "Every kid that comes out here wants to be here," Claflin said. "We train hard, but the kids have great attitudes and they see the results when they see their times. They'll swim close to 4 miles a day, and you won't hear a peep out of them. These kids want to swim. That's how they have a good time."
Although swimming is the main focus of the group, practicing discipline outside of the pool is something Withington has put an emphasis on since joining TBAY six years ago.
"I started the dry-land program that we do with the kids," Withington said. "We do a lot of abdominal work, medicine balls, running, pushups and sit-ups. That's what I was able to bring to the program as someone who didn't grow up swimming."
Swimmers of all experience levels have found their way to TBAY. The training regimen for those in the younger and less experienced brackets is considerably lighter and focuses on teaching strokes and basics. After that, however, coaches spend more time worrying about polishing the kids' strokes and building fit swimmers who can compete.
"We take a kid who likes to swim and turn them into good swimmers," Withington said. "We work on getting them to swim a lot of yardage. With this being a year-round swim team, we go to a lot of meets and we want it to come easy to them when they get there."
Joanna Lucas is a mother of two TBAY swimmers who are still at the beginning stages at only 7 and 8 years old. In the short time that her children, Rachel and Joseph, have been involved, Lucas has seen the program grow and change.
"When we first came out, the Michael Phelps thing was going on and there were kids everywhere," Lucas said. "Now, it's winter time and the kids aren't as interested in swimming, so it has kind of weeded out the kids who don't really want to do it."
Growing up a swimmer herself, Lucas knows the benefits the sport can provide and is happy with the way the TBAY coaches have approached teaching her kids.
"Swimming is the perfect sport to get your kids involved in because it's low impact — they don't really get hurt," Lucas said. "But it's important to have good coaches that can teach technique. Learning to swim well is a process, and I think they do a good job here of helping the kids develop."
Submit feedback, story ideas to communitysports@tampabay.com.
Fast facts | Tampa Bay Aquatics, New Port Richey Branch
Where: New Port Richey Recreation Center, 6630 Van Buren St.
When: Team practices six days a week, usually from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Note: Casey Claflin is the coach of Gulf High School, and Wayne Withington is the coach of Central High School in Brooksville. Each of the coaches works on a volunteer basis for TBAY and has trained some of Pasco's top swimmers. Those who are interested in joining TBAY should visit www.tampabayaquatics.com for more information.
News
