Although the team may be smaller than other YMCA teams in the area, the Tampa YMCA Swimming team at the Plant City YMCA makes up for it in talent.
Coach Craig Hilgenberg helped resurrect the longstanding swim club at Walden Lake in 2008, before merging that team with an existing swim club at the Plant City Family YMCA in 2010.
The team, nicknamed the Riptides under the TYS Stingrays name, has become the No. 1 Tampa YMCA team and one of the better teams in Tampa Bay.
“We compete against a lot of other YMCAs in a developmental championship meet, and overall as a team, we’ve been No. 1 the past two years out of 10-12 teams,” Hilgenberg said. “We also have kids who compete at a higher level.”
The Riptides begin their third YMCA season under Hilgenberg April 20. Their first sanctioned USA Swimming meet is April 27.
SETTING PRIORITIES
Tomlin Middle School student Jackson Nichols, one of the club’s oldest members, is one of those higher-level athletes. He wins at area competitions regularly and places in the top five at bigger meets.
“I’ve been with this program since I was 7, so almost half of my life already,” said Nichols, who swam for Hilgenberg at Walden Lake before coming to the YMCA.
His younger sister, Walden Lake Elementary student Kelly Nichols, is one of the top girls on the team.
“They come from a great swimming family,” Hilgenberg said.
Jackson and Kelly are close to making their Florida Age Group, or FLAG, qualifying times, equivalent to Junior Olympic qualifying.
“The FLAG times get harder the older you get; so you just have to keep working hard in practice and manage your time well when it comes to homework and school,” Jackson said.
Balancing life’s other responsibilities is an important part of being on the team, which practices four days a week.
The club also provides an opportunity to be a part of a team and benefits the young members in many aspects, including sportsmanship, teamwork and social skills.
“I’ve met a lot of friends through being a part of this team,” said Jordan Bramley, who competed in the girls’ YMCA state meet last winter.
“This definitely gives them an outlet when it comes to having an activity,” Hilgenberg said. “It really helps them learn time management. A lot of the middle-school kids go right from school to here and then go back home and complete their homework.”
DIFFERENT STROKES
The number of swimmers, spanning in age from 5-16, has been growing steadily. The team has about 30 members in the fall and spring and grows to the mid-50s during the summer. Currently, the team competes in those three seasons, but hopes to become a year-round program if numbers continue to grow.
“We’re really busy spring, summer and fall,” Hilgenberg said.
The team comprises swimmers of all levels, with a developmental division for newcomers with little experience.
“We have kids that have never learned strokes before come out,” Hilgenberg said. “It’s great to be able to get them involved. And the more experienced swimmers are good about helping them with techniques.”
Hilgenberg hopes that the program will continue to grow. Meanwhile, he is working with all of his swimmers on development and team bonding.
“My philosophy is to try and teach them at least one new thing each day,” he said. “Keeping that excitement here and that team bonding here is the most important thing.”
TYS Stingrays Plant City
NICKNAME: Riptides
FIRST MEET: April 20
SEASONS: Spring, summer and fall
GET INVOLVED: Plant City Family Y, 813-757-6677, or coach Craig Hilgenberg, craighilgenberg@gmail.com