The Tellico Village Tarpons swim team fell short in its overall team score Thursday to Crestwood Hills in Knoxville, dropping the meet 255.5 to 379.5.
But individual finishes continue to be a bright spot as the Tarpons had 10 individuals and six relay teams place first. In addition, 27 swimmers broke personal records.
“We came up short, but I was proud of our team’s effort,” Shyenne Fish, Tarpons head coach, said. “There were several that finished first and put up personal best times, so that’s always what I like to see.”
Last summer, the Tarpons finished first in League 4 and moved up to the higher division League 3 this summer.
“It’s been a little more difficult this year because we’ve moved up leagues,” Fish said. “We only have 55 members and we’re going up against teams that are double our size.”
Fish is in her third year as the head coach of the Tarpons and has boasted a passion for swimming for most of her life.
“I began swimming when I was just 4 years old as an age group swimmer with a USA team,” Fish said. “Ever since then, I’ve always had a passion for it.”
Fish made the move from Michigan to Tennessee and took over as head coach in 2015.
“It’s really been a great experience for me to coach down here,” Fish said. “The kids are always great and I always have fun being with them and teaching them. Usually, the kids bring something new to the table, so as a coach and person, I feel they are helping me to become better.”
The Tarpons have experienced growth over the years, building a passion for the sport in the area.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see the growth of this team,” Tim Wright, Tarpons president, said. “They’ve had a lot of success recently and that’s great to see. I mean, for the past six to eight years, this organization has helped strengthen the high school teams, too. We even have kids on the team from Monroe and McMinn counties.”
Wright is in his second year as president, but has been around the team for 10 years.
“My girls first started swimming when they were 6 and 7,” Wright said. “So, it’s been about 10 years since and they’re still swimming. They love it and I’ve really enjoyed watching them over the years.”
Swimming is a dual sport, meaning that individual efforts contribute to the team’s goals.
“Swimming is such a unique sport,” Wright said. “Each individual always wants to do their best in their own meet and get their own times. However, whatever they do always ends up helping the team one way or another. There’s a lot of individual events, but those scores are tallied up for the entire team at the end.”
Although swimming is the main focus, coaches and parents make sure to teach life lessons through the sport.
“It’s great for kids because it allows them to learn about setting goals early on,” Wright said. “It’s especially good for the younger ones because they get an even earlier jump on that, and I think that’s important for all kids to learn. There’s also a really good sense of community here, and so kids and parents are able to know one another and build lasting relationships through this.”
The final regular season meet for the Tarpons is today at Gettysvue Country Club. The team will also swim Saturday and Sunday in the Smoky Mountain Invitational at Springbrook Pool in Alcoa.
The Tarpons will finish the 2017 season July 28-29 at the Greater Knoxville Area Interclub Swimming Association City Meet at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center at the University of Tennessee.
