Being on the swim team for the first time will be a year to remember. I am a senior and it’s my first and last year joining the JV swim team for San Benito High School. It’s a shocker to some people that I’m barely joining but I think I signed up at just the right time. Most of my friends are on the Varsity team but that’s because they’ve been swimming way longer than me. I have made numerous friends as well on JV, everyone gets along. The coaches are Coach Christine Schaffer for Varsity and Coach Kathy Larson for JV and diving, and also SBA (San Benito Aquatics). Practicing with two different groups of youth takes a lot of hard work, “Swimming and track and field are the hardest sports to be in” says Coach Larson. These two coaches work hard to prepare the team for the each meet. The next few meets coming up are at the locations of Hartnell College, a home meet against Alisal on Friday March 27, Friday April 3 San Benito vs. Palma at Hatnell, a home meet taking place on Wednesday April 29 here vs. Seaside and a home meet on Friday May 1, San Benito vs. Alvarez. For now, since I’m still new, I race in free style and back stroke. The different strokes of swimming include butterfly, free style, back stroke, and breast stroke. Kate Schaepok, a senior on the Varsity team has been swimming for the high school all four years. “I’ve loved all four years and I have developed lifelong friendships through swimming. I recommend it to any freshman looking to make friends.” For any student wanting to join a sport that they want to have fun in, and if you have a competitive side, this is perfect for you too. Depending on what the coach assigns you, people can swim long or short distance. For yardage a 25 is one lap to the end in the small pool. And a 50 is two laps in the deep pool starting from the beginning of the pool, to the end and back again. A 100 is four laps, 200 is eight laps, 400 is the same thing as a 100; and a 500 is twenty laps. These are all non-stop with flip turn at every end in a meet. One of the JV swimmers Chris Martinez is a junior this year, it being his first year too he wishes to excel. “At practice we get breaks here and there but the coach wants us to learn to push ourselves and have our arms get used to the feeling of constant going.” says Martinez. Some have said that they swim to an extent where their arms end up feeling like jelly. The diving blocks I’m still getting used to, learning how to dive properly takes time but can be painful to attempt if you do a belly flop into the pool! I am grateful to my friends that encouraged me to join this sport and stick to it. The coaches’ motivation towards each swimmer will always be there for all new incoming kids who want to join.