Selma Athletics has had a great run this year with many sports having very successful seasons, and the swim team is determined to be next in line.
The upcoming season is not without its drawbacks. Due to the rebuilding of the school’s pool, Selma’s swimmers have had to take vans to Dinuba High for their practices. This has taken time from the athletes’ after school lives, and has also resulted in a smaller team since some cannot commit to traveling for practice. Stephen Viveros, a junior on the team, has expressed,
“Having away practices has made it a much longer period from the time we get out of school to the time we finally go home,” Stephen Viveros, a junior on the team, expressed.
Irving Vejar-Sosa, another junior on the team, talked about how these practices have messed up the time he has to work on his studies for school and that it has been a huge adjustment. He added that he has been a lot more tired since the start of this season and is trying to continue to push through.
The players talked about how having a small team has affected their standings at some of the meets they have been to so far this season. Due to the swim meets all being point based, they aren’t able to get as many points as other teams due to the size of their team.
“There’s usually not enough people to do the relays or have any substitution,” added Viveros, when asked if there were any challenges with having such a small team.
Vejar-Sosa is one member on the swim team with a strikingly positive attitude for the season.
“I keep a positive mindset by talking to people and spreading positivity to them so that I can stay positive myself,” Vejar-Sosa commented.
One thing that Irving likes about having a smaller team is that all the players have a really good bond with each other. It helps improve their teamwork and makes the overall team more enjoyable to be around.
Despite this setback, Andrew Bustinza remains alert and positive. Being a sophomore, he is ready to improve for his season.
“My goals for this season is to get faster, obviously,” Bustinza said, “and to qualify for finals for any event I can.”
A common goal for this year’s swimmers is to improve on their times during these dedicated events and to work with what they have.
Even with all the challenges, Selma’s swimmers remain ready to stride through the season.
