WEST POINT — The West Point Dolphins Swim Team recently finished up an undefeated season in the Middle Peninsula Swim League for the third year in a row. The summer swim league is made up of five swim teams with swimmers from throughout the Middle Peninsula. The league finished up its season with a championship meet on July 20.
The Dolphins beat out the Indian Creek Yacht Club Stingrays, Deltaville Sharks, Rappahannock River Rats and the Middlesex Makos. Begun in the 1980s, the West Point Dolphins Swim Team is run through the Country Club of West Point. The team is self-supporting and open to all community members, drawing swimmers from West Point and New Kent, King William and Gloucester counties.
Alexis Hardy, the Dolphins’ coach for the past 10 years, said she was very proud of the Dolphins’ accomplishments. Her co-coaches were Jessie Allen and Kevin Kurek. Allen pointed out that in swimming, age, gender, race, religion, political beliefs or background doesn’t matter, because the water treats everyone the same.
Swimmers and parents on summer swim teams say the experience is like no other, instilling a sense of community and pride among everyone. “Being apart of summer swim team isn’t just about racing in water; it’s about forging friendships, building resilience and driving into the shared thrill of striving and achieving together,” said parent Lauren Garbett. Summer swim also helps children work on their confidence and consistency while learning an important life skill, pointed out parent Jarmila Poorman, whose sons swim on the Dolphins.
“I love summer swimming because it gives kids time to have fun and interact while exercising,” said 10-year-old Blake Milby, a Dolphins swimmer. “I learn useful information on how to swim different kids of strokes.” Summer swim teams draw children ages 4 to 18, with older children helping the younger ones and former members coming back to coach.
For many families, summer swim is a tradition, with parents as volunteers running the meets. The Middlesex Makos, a reinvention of the former Urbanna Barracudas, came in second place in their inaugural season, just 57 points behind the Dolphins. “I’m not sure I could be prouder,” head coach Shannon Sears wrote on the Makos’ Facebook page the day of the championship meet.
“The Mako swimmers rocked the day! I asked the swimmers today to leave it all in the pool and that is exactly what they did.” At the end of the day, summer swim isn’t just about winning, said Dolphins swimmer Waylon Lewis. “It’s about being there for another person and your team,” he said, “making friendships and building each other up, struggling together and winning together.
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