Getting in the swim of things: Vandalia swim team formed

“Some kids don’t like to play baseball and some kids don’t like to play basketball, but most kids like to swim.”

And now, local children who like to swim competitively have a chance to do so.
Rachel Schaal began working last fall to form a swim team in Vandalia, and she continued working on that this summer.
Twenty-two local youth were part of the new team, with the participants competing only against others on the team. Schaal hopes to expand the new program next summer, with the team competing against others in this region.
To make that a reality, she needs support from the community. To compete against other teams, the Vandalia squad will need starting blocks, swim lanes and a program for scoring. Donations to the swim team can be sent to the Vandalia Park District, 900 N. Locust St., Vandalia, Ill. 62471.
The program is open to all youth under the ages of 18, with competitions in three groups – 10 and under, 11-14 and 15-18 – and in four swimming styles – freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
The swim team program is also open to younger children, though in competitions, those age 8 and younger swim only in exhibitions, but still receive ribbons.
Schaal emphasizes that youth who wish to participate in the program need not be experienced swimmers with advanced skills.
“As long as the can swim down the length of the pool, I can get the strokes down,” Schaal said.
She said that the improvements made by this year’s participants are proof that youth can make big strides in a short period of time.
“Just in a month, it’s amazing how they grew,” Schaal said, explaining that she has worked with team members on such things as starting dives and flip turns.
“The little ones could hardly make two laps in the beginning; now they warm up with eight laps,” she said.
This year’s team is a good group to start with, but Schaal wants to get many more local children involved. “We definitely need some more little ones,” she said.
Schaal is experienced in the sport of team swimming, having swam for the Dorchester Swim Club in her youth.
She pursued the idea after hearing that others were interested. “For years, a lot of people have been asking for this,” she said.
Schaal is being assisted by Mark Kreienheder, who was a member of the St. Elmo swim team when the community offered it in the past, and Anna DePaolo, who has been swimming at Greenville.
This year, swim team members paid a $48 fee. “I would like to keep it around $50 (in future years),” she said.
That fee would help to pay team expenses, in addition to the financial support it would get from individuals, business and groups in the community.
The swim team program got it start with the assistance from the Family YMCA of Fayette County. “The YMCA was very helpful in getting it going,” she said.
As the program develops, it will be getting help from others.
“The Greenville team said it would be very helpful in getting us started,” Schaal said. That team includes Kim Peppler, who teaches speech and language in the Vandalia School District.
As it gets under way next June, the Vandalia team will be looking to be part of a conference, such as the Kaskaskia Conference, which includes Greenville, Sparta, Columbia and Waterloo.
A swim team, Schaal said, “is something that a lot of town don’t have.
“The way that I look at a swim team is, it’s a team sport, but it’s also an individual sport,” she said.
“One thing that I want kids to understand is, even if they participate in other sports, swimming can help them, while being fun at the same time.
“The strength that you gain in swimming helps you in other sports,” Schaal said. “Swimming keeps your stamina going in the summer.”
 

Kennedy Schaal of the newly formed Vandalia swim team takes some laps at a practice last week at the Vandalia Swimming Pool. Team coach Rachel Schaal is looking for local youth who are interested in being a part of next year’s team, which will be competing against area teams for the first time next year.

Members of the newly formed Vandalia swim team are pictured above. In front are Marlee Carroll, Braxton Dunn, McKinley Murfee, Addalyn Schaal and Ava Peyton. In the middle row are Brynn Swyers, Gabby Estime, Peyton Dothager, Laney Dunn, Saige Philpot, Elaina Hagy, Lauren Johnson and Maggie Malloy. In back are Sophia McNealy, Avery Isringhausen, Kennedy Schaal, Noah Calhoun and Rhylee Isringhausen. Not pictured are Sophie Bowers, Sophie Harrison and Lourelai Logue.