“Get in and take a few laps” is what junior Sarka Slezakova would hear if she were still in the Czech Republic. She would hear this statement once a week, after leaving school for some exercise in the pool.

Swimming in the Czech Republic isn’t like swim team here she said. There they swam some laps and then played games.

“We wear whatever,” Slezakova said.

Girls wore one-piece swimsuit and the boys wore shorts, she said. Girls wear one piece suits here, but the boys wear speedos instead of shorts.

Now, she swims for the team everyday, and she competes regularly.

Slezakova didn’t swim as much in the Czech Republic and had to get used to swimming every day for longer amounts of time.

Slezakova joined the team because friends wanted her to join, knowing that she swam before, at home.

Instead of the 50-meter laps, Slezakova has been getting used to the daily 300-yard warm up for the team, which is twelve 25-yard laps.

Practice differs everyday, and some days after she and the team swim the warm up, they then work on sets like the five 100-yard Individual Medley, which is a lap of each of the strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Other sets include ten 50-yard laps, which are usually freestyle, or more 200-yard sets.

Then, depending on what needs to be worked on, the team practices diving to start off the race faster, flip turns to turn at the end of the lap and quickly start on the next lap, and individual stroke techniques.

When it comes to practice, Slezakova has been improving, and everyone has noticed.

Coach Marcus Sherman said that her times keep getting faster and her technique is getting better.

“She’s very reliable,” Sherman said. “She’s doing pretty good, better than expected.” He also said that Slezakova works hard, and comes to practice every day.

“She’s improving,” said freshman Tessa Pierce. “She’s gotten faster.”

Besides swimming better, Slezakova is becoming more relaxed in competitions and speaking English.

Teammate Dawn Griep, freshman, said, “She’s not nervous anymore, and she understands English better.”

Slezakova came to the United States with the Council on International Educational Exchange.

On her application, she chose to come to the United States, but CIEE chose Stockton for her.

Before coming, Slezakova traveled to Italy with her sister. She doesn’t plan to travel before heading back home.

“She’s a dork,” said Pierce, “But it’s fun.”