In their inaugural season, area swimming club Wake Aquatics has 18 members heading to the Summer Games of Texas in Corpus Christi this weekend to compete for state championships in 34 events.
The group is led by coach Leland Mankin, who all but lived in the pool during his days growing up in Tracy, California and wanted his sons Haden and Harbo to have that experience.
“Competitive swimming is a part of my history,” Mankin said. “And I wanted my kids to get into swimming.”
“Living out in a rural area, making that happen wasn’t as easy,” he said. “But then we looked into starting a club here and we got involved with the Rockdale City Pool and the YMCA and it was smooth from there.”
The organization originally had their sights set for 2020, but with the COVID-19 pandemic the Rockdale club had to wait until this past summer to hop in the pool.
When getting ready for this year, Mankin expected to have some kids join but was suprised when 57 kids signed up and also had the fortune of receiving a team with so much potential.
“The kids we had were good swimmers, they just didn’t have technique,” he said.
Because of that, he says this season has been all about getting them used to being in the water.
“We start practices with five warm-up laps, and then 50 push-ups and sit-ups on the side of the pool,” he said. “And we also work on turns and finishes just because those are the things that can get you disqualified when you go to bigger meets.”
The success in their first season has Mankin ecstatic and says it makes him hopeful for the future.
“If we keep the momentum going, it could potentially mean kids getting noticed by schools,” he said, “especially when you go to these bigger meets, a lot of colleges come.”
Results from the games will be posted on Reporter social media.
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