Community displayed at ‘rival’ swim meet

Steve Virgen

When six-year-old Emily Meckler finished swimming the 25-yard

backstroke a crowd of parents cheered. Emily is still learning.

During the race, she nearly swam out of her lane.

Yet, when she touched the wall, she finished ahead of the pack in

her heat and continued to show her improvement in the backstroke. She

was also one of several fascinating facets that came about at the

youth swim meet that brought together the athletes and families of

the Newport Hills and Harbor View swim teams Saturday.

Toward the end of the meet, four-year-olds Jennifer Franklin and

Haley Giddings completed the 25-yard backstroke much to the delight

of the majority of the crowd. With music playing in the background,

Jennifer and Haley slowly covered the 25 yards, yet they were strong

enough to finish.

While they swam, several children played in a small pool, while

other older children relaxed in the sun. Some parents found shade and

read a book or caught up with a neighbor. Many children from the

Newport Hills and Harbor View swim teams play with or against each

other in other sports.

“These are rival teams and the kids all know each other,” said Pam

Caskey, whose 12-year-old daughter McKenna swims for Harbor View.

“This meet is like a social gathering for the parents. And aside from

this meet, the parents will sometimes get together to have parties.”

While the social aspect is evident in the two swim programs,

fundamentals of the sport and standard discipline are important for

the children. Brendan Inglis, who swam for Harbor View as a child, is

a coach for the Dolphins and he stresses the same lessons he learned

from Coach Ted Bandaruk.

“I want them to just get the feeling of camaraderie,” Inglis said.

“I want them to learn leadership skills because some of them might

grow up and become coaches. It’s also just a great way for kids to

get in shape and have a good time. And, in a meet like this, it

brings the whole community together.”

Susan Barden, the president of the meet’s host, the Newport Hills

swim team, has illustrated that sense of community while raising her

children. Barden lives but two houses away from the pool that Newport

Hills uses. Her son Jack, 6, swam the backstroke. It was his first of

what figures to be many official competitive races.

“Jack is oblivious to the fact that the race was official,” Barden

said. “In his mind he wins the race and it doesn’t matter if it’s

official.”

Jack’s older sister, Hollace, 9, and brother Richie, 8, are also

on the swim team and younger brother, four-year-old Rex, has just

started out in the program’s pollywog program.

When Christina Hewko was four, she began to learn about aquatics

with the Harbor View swim team. Hewko, a recent graduate of Corona

del Mar High and a former Sea King standout in water polo, competed

Saturday. In September, she will leave for Stanford where she will

play for the water polo team.

“These kids need heroes and she’s one of them,” Bandaruk said.

“That the beauty of coaching the kids. We get them started on their

way. Christina is just a great person. That’s what comes before her

athleticism. She never complains and she just always works hard. It’s

just been great watching her grow up.”

For all the little ones who go through the Newport Hills and

Harbor View programs, many goals will be placed before them. The

coaches and parents believe swimming is an important tool to reach

those heights and other levels outside of the pool. While they are

young, though, this is the time for their fun.