Dedication. It’s a word thrown around a lot these days and has taken a lesser meaning as a result. Many people really don’t know what true dedication is. We assume dedication in all, but only a select few have it. Most athletes work hard, but not all are truly dedicated to their craft.
That select few includes the great athletes on the swim team, a team truly devoted to it’s work. The swimmers work long hours in the pool year round to trim their times in order to qualify for their ultimate goal—states. Three of the team’s state qualifiers this year were middle schoolers, which is an even greater feat considering their age.
Swimming is a physical sport. It requires great strength and stamina and thus favors older competitors. These middle schoolers overcame stacked odds and outworked and outcompeted their more physically-developed adversaries. 7th grader Nico Santiago represented the Trinity diving team, while 6th grader Elle Gindlesperger and 8th grader Sara Stricklin qualified in swimming.
In part due to the successes of the middle schoolers, the swimming team had another successful season. The boys finished third at states and the girls ninth. Gindlesperger set a new personal best time of 1:08.4 in the 100 yard breaststroke, an incredibly impressive feat as a 6th grader. The team looks forward to training for next year’s states and building upon an impressive season.
Given Sara’s and Elle’s performance and attitude throughout the year, coach Rocco Aceto views the two as integral parts of the team and the team’s future.
“Both Sara and Elle are early in their development on the elite track. At this point in their careers, there are three factors to success: comprehension of technique, ability to make adjustment to their strokes and race strategy implementation.”
The swimmers excel in the aforementioned areas, leading to success.
Training, however, is the key to swimming excellence. Training starts early for the team, both in terms of season and daily time. The swimmers who qualify for regionals and states, swim year round. It might sound cliché, but there is no offseason. Not only are practices year round, but they are often in the morning. These practices, which include wieght training as well as swimming, are known to be grueling.
“Work ethic is mandatory for all athletics,” Aceto said. “Both students prevail in this category.”
The swimmers understand why the schedule is so demanding. The coaches expect complete dedication, knowing this is what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of swimming.
“Coach [Rocco] Aceto knows what everybody is capable of in the pool,” Gindlesperger said. “He pushes us until we reach our fullest potential, oftentimes past what we thought was our best. We become better swimmers because of his coaching tactics and the attitude he exudes.”
Santiago has had a similar positive experience with his diving coaches.
“Coach Tienderen and coach Koch have helped me overcome my mental blocks and fears when diving,” Santiago said. “They just continued to motivate me throughout the season, and that consistent push paid off in the form of finishing tenth (out of 22) at states.”
These middle schoolers competed in varsity meets throughout the season, often against older opponents. They are unconcerned about the quality of competition. The swimmers focused on what they could control—their performance—rather than worry about others.
“Water treats all of us the same,” Stricklin said. “I don’t think about age when I swim. What actually matters is how much time you put in and how hard you work for it.”
While most would view being the youngest on teams as a bad thing, the group agreed that there are substantial benefits to their age. The older members of the team set examples for the youth and create a competitive environment.
“It is really nice having so many teammates to look up to and to get advice from,” Santiago said. “They helped shape the diver I am today and created a conducive environment.”
The swimming program is regarded as one of the tightest-knit sports communities on campus. The team prides itself on getting to know everybody and spending time together.
“We have been through so much and spend most of the weekends together,” Stricklin said. “We are a very close team and I enjoy swimming for this kind of team.”
The diving team has a similar bond.
“I felt very accepted by the diving team,” Santiago said. “I got to know each individual on the team and there was a very open vibe. The team truly became my second family—my home away from home. My teammates always picked me up when I was down after a bad dive and made me laugh.”
The team’s closeness reflects the sport as a whole. Swimmers and divers know and meet fellow athletes all around Florida through the swimming community.
“I met a lot of awesome divers at states and it really showed me how close the diving community is,” Santiago said. “Rather than booing and rooting against other divers, everybody cheered for each other and there was a great sense of camaraderie.”
