The ƵappPirates swim club is ready to hit the water again.
Registration is open now for the club’s summer program, which will see swimmers get the opportunity to train up to five times a week at the Brennan Park pool.
Head coach Daniel Russell, fresh off a season swimming with the Simon Fraser University team in NCAA Division II competition, along with coaches Emily Hennigar, Sarah Dale, Oli Jarrett and Alex Jevons will lead the team this summer.
Swimmers hit the pool on May 5 but the Pirates are also offering a “try it” month in May that sees swimmers work hard all month in anticipation of the club’s annual swim meet at Brennan Park on May 25. To make it on the team, kids must be between the ages of five and 18 and either have the ability to swim 25 metres unassisted or have achieved Swim Kids 4.
Pirates members can also continue training throughout June and participating in regional and provincial competitions later on in the summer.
“For parents it’s the chance to spend time with the kids and cheer them on, socialize with other parents and get up and close volunteering a few hours at swim meets,” said D’Arcy Lorimer from the Pirates.
The Pirates allow parents who want to help out as officials by providing clinics to teach them the ins and outs of the sport. The first is on May 21. For more information on everything related to the club, visit www.squamishpirates.com.
In other local swimming news, athletes from SwimFaster Ƶappposted strong results at the 2014 UVPCS Wavemaker Meet in Victoria from April 25 to 27.
Youngster Diane McIllwraith took home gold in the 10 and under 50-metre backstroke, a bronze in the 50-metre butterfly and finished fifth in the 100 and 400-metre freestyle races.
Team captains Brayden Whittacker and Kristi Hilton both placed seventh in their respective races and swimmers Cassidy Whittacker, Aquinnah Flores and Nathaniel Flores all posted new personal best times.
The next big event for SwimFaster occurs on the final weekend in May when the team travels to Kamloops for a meet.