Sooke has a new competitive swim club.
The Tyee Aquatic Club is now practicing at SEAPARC Leisure Centre pool with 15 athletes, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years.
Founded in 1998, the Tyee Aquatic club offers a variety of programs designed to give swimmers skills to develop their talents. The club also has programs in Victoria and Esquimalt, under the auspices of head coach Dexter Bligh.
“Our biggest goal [in Sooke] is to have a very accommodating atmosphere,” said Marissa Nadin, who is the Sooke coach. “All the coaches that work with Tyee are very enthusiastic about the program.”
This is the second swim club to work out of SEAPARC. Island Swimming disbanded a year ago.
Tyee’s dip into Sooke will work hand-in-hand with other SEAPARC programs, said aquatic programmer Elizabeth Olsen, including the comprehensive Red Cross learn to swim and non-competitive Sharks programs.
“I think it’s important to have options. Our goal at the rec centre is to make sure we have options for everybody.”
Tyee swimmers have the choice of working out four days or five days a week, with the fifth practice on Saturday at Crystal Pool in Victoria.
The Tyee Aquatic Club is associated with Swim B.C. and Swim Canada. Swimmers can be either competitive or non-competitive, Nadin said.
“The coaches want to encourage the sport wherever we can and encourage kids to be active and fit and be part of a team environment – that’s our goal,” she said.
Registration for the Tyee Aquatic Club is online at tyeeaquaticlub.com. For more information on SEAPARC programs, please go to crd.bc.ca/seaparc or call 250-642-8000.