February 7, 2014 at 3:13 p.m.
Part of the club
Rhinelander Swim club celebrates 50th anniversary
Part of the club
It's become a Northwoods tradition, with several families taking part across generations.
Swimmers in the club have logged an incredible number of laps over the years, and this year's group is no different. It's an effort to keep kids interested in the sport and get them ready for more serious competition when they're older.
This year was a typically strong year for the program. They finished first in their conference and second at regionals.
Vice President of the Rhinelander Swim Club Craig Caitlin said the organization is an important part of the local swimming community.
"It goes back to the tradition that Rhinelander swimming has had over the years," he said. "I can't speak about the program before my graduation in 1977, but since then, I know we've had a long tradition of successful swim programs here. Our swim club serves as a feeder program for those junior high and high school athletics."
Ben Schrage, a 2007 Rhinelander High School graduate, spent a lot of time in swim club growing up.
"I started with Rhinelander Swim Club in fifth grade," he said. "My brother started swimming for the high school team and I wanted to swim competitively too. Swim club was the only way to do that at that age. I swam with them until about seventh grade when I started practicing with the high school team."
It allowed Schrage and others interested in the sport to get involved earlier than they otherwise would have.
"Swim club is good for the community because it allows younger kids to get started in the sport at a young age," he said. "Without club, you would have to wait until high school, for boys anyway. It also allows young kids to meet other kids from the community that may not go to the same school. I still have close friends that I originally met in swim club."
For the young athletes, swim club plays a large part in their childhood. Katie Rinka, a 2012 graduate of RHS, said she swam in swim club for four years. While she opted for basketball when she got older, she still remembers her time in the pool.
"I joined swim club because my mother had previously been a high school swim coach and knew it would be a fun way for me to start participating in a sport," she said. "I also spent my whole childhood in a lake and loved the water."
Rinka said it was a fun environment for a kid and she still has fond memories of her time there.
"I remember when you were finished with your race, you got a handful of fish food from your coach," she said. "It was just Skittles, but it made you want to swim faster for your reward. Swim club is an ideal place for young families to come together and meet people with similar interests. It's a safe environment for kids to learn about participating in sports."
Caitlin and the others in charge want to make sure the kids in swim club are ready for the challenge though. That's why its partnership with the YMCA made so much sense.
"We have reciprocity with the YMCA," he said. "If kids there have worked through their swim program and want to learn competitive technique, they send them to us. They have to swim from one end of the pool to the other, unaided. If they can't do that, we send them back to the Y for additional lessons."
The swim club is experiencing plenty of success now, but for awhile, it appeared the swim club would not make it to its 50th birthday. Caitlin said a few years ago he thought the group was at its end.
"Back around 2006 and 2007, we were down to around 35 members," he said. "We didn't know if we were going to be able to keep going on. Swim clubs traditionally get an influx of members after successful Olympics and Michael Phelps did that in 2008 and 2012. We gained about 50 percent more members after that. It really helped our club stay alive. We've kind of rode on those coattails."
Ken Heck is one of the coaches of this year's group. It's his second year helping out and he said he really enjoys the time he gets to spend with the kids. It's not Heck's first experience with the club though. Years ago, he was a member himself.
"I started in 1973 when I was about seven years old," he said. "I remember we had a lot of kids and it was a lot of fun. We had a good team and we always looked up to the older kids. I did a lot of swimming."
Over 40 years later, Heck said the club hasn't changed all that much.
"It's very similar," he said. "The camaraderie was always really good then and it's really good now too. The kids always cheer for each other and the older kids look out for the younger kids. It's a lot of fun."
Tierney Edwards, a 2009 RHS graduate, was in swim club when she was a kid. She said some of what she learned in the club still resonate today.
"Swimming is a lifelong activity and is one of the best workouts someone can do," she said. "It also teaches children a relationship between hard work and results. With swimming, you get out what you put in. It taught me discipline and hard work, and I was still able to socialize with my peers while participating. Any weekend swim club swim meet is a special memory. It's a very long day, but it's a lot of fun. Hanging out in a gym with your friends and getting a ribbon for placing in the top 12 is exciting."
When the swim club first started, Lyndon Johnson was in the White House and Muhammad Ali was still going by Cassius Clay. It's been a long time. People like Heck, Schrage, Rinka and Edwards are examples of the experience the local club provides. With endorsements like that, another 50 years isn't out of the question.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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