Coach Romig is in charge of the varsity swim and head dive teams at Selma High School, successfully leading the team to league and Sectional Championships.
The Leagues, hosted by Reedley on the 26th of April, is one of the major swim meets in the valley, known for the high level of competition.
Coach Romig expressed her sentiment regarding her players’ mentality prior to the championships.
“Overall, I was very happy with the results. Almost every swimmer had a personal record at league finals.” expressed Coach Romig.
Together with JV Swim Coach Chrystelle Jaramillo, a 2016 graduate of Selma, they intend to have a significant impact on the team’s success this season. Given the amount of growth the squad has made thus far, JV Coach Chrystelle agrees that the season has been fantastic.
“Support [during] this season just came naturally. It helps when they’ve swam together prior to this season or they came from another sport together, such as water polo,” expressed Coach Cheystelle.
Swimming is made up of challenging motion repeats with the arms and legs called strokes. Because water is denser than air, it has a lot more resistance. This makes it difficult for individuals to move through it swiftly and freely. That’s why it’s so much harder than other land sports.
Whatever the sport, it is the players’ responsibility to work together to make the result successful. Sarah Barron has competed in the swim season this year as a senior at the high school. She expresses that facing challenges together as a group is what brings them together and helps them develop that bond with one another.
“It is my last year and this sport has brought me amazing friendships, great teamwork skills, and a competitive mindset,” expressed Sarah.
Frequently, personal success is dependent on those one chooses to associate themselves with. This is what makes the team so strong, both independently and as a whole.
Such camaraderie helps uplift and encourage each other, which is a significant attribute, as they appeal to the upcoming line of swimmers to push themselves to work harder.
“We train hard everyday. We are in the weight room three days a week, in addition to our swim workouts. Swimming takes endurance, strength and speed. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun doing,” commented Coach Romig.
Junior teammate, Chayanne Allen, has been having a successful season as she takes the aid from her coach. With the idea of having a team that can really reflect how one is able to progress in their seasons.
“A complication in my swim season this year beating my previous times from meets and I worked to overcome them by trying when I would talk with my coach about ways to improve to get better then giving it all during my events,” Allen expressed.
While swimming is often an individualized sport, in which one races alone or even against those from their own team, with the exception of relays, the overall goal is to beat your personal times and have fun while doing so.
Cheyenne agrees that regardless of having to go through long practices in the heat, it’s all enjoyable to see the result one obtains at the end.
“Although it can be overwhelming, the team encourages me and pushes me to become better in my next meets. Having a team makes the sport enjoyable,” commented Allen.
With this season, it seems that the team had no problem with helping each other out this season because of the garnered support they’ve gained throughout the years. Now with new faces, the support system has already been established to help them feel comfortable within the swim team.
