The Big Sandy Barracuda Swim Team
By Robert Lucke
The Big Sandy Barracudas Swim Team is using the entire month of May to recruit new swimmers for their award winning team.
Swim coach Travis Baumann says that not only will recruits be able to swim in competitions all summer long but they will be learning a life skill that just could save their lives. On the prairies too many kids do not learn how to swim and as a result every summer North Central Montanans hear of drownings in ditches and prairie potholes.
Not if Baumann and the Big Sandy Barracudas have anything to say about it!
"Swimming is a life skill," said Baumann. "We want kids to have confidence in water they are in whether it be a lake, pond, river or pool; they will be safe."
Baumann continued that prairie kids often have problems in water because they never learned to swim.
"I spend too much time with our team just practicing treading water with their clothes on and even five pound weights. I am trying to get them to know what it feels like in situations. If we can get our kids to learn how to swim and swim well, we can virtually stop drowning," said Bauman.
Baumann said that if winning was all that the Big Sandy Barracudas were about, he wouldn't spend so much time getting swimmers involved in various situations.
"I tell parents that we do these activities just so the kids understand a situation," added Baumann. "Holding a five pound weight and treading water, that is not about winning but about surviving in water. It does build up their swimming muscles and much, much more."
Baumann thinks that the Big Sandy Barracudas look very good this season. It is a really solid team with some really strong swimmers.
The first swim meet will be in Harlem on June 4. The State swim meet is July 30 and 31.
Baumann said he does not know yet what are the teams to beat because the teams do not get ranked until Divisionals. However, he said that if they land in Class B, where they often are, they would be looking to beat Chester, Fairfield, Shelby and Cutbank.
The swim team is looking for boys and girls from 5 to 18 years of age. Baumann said they would take anyone between those ages who wants to swim. Registration lasts until May 31. If interested contact Heather Pleninger or Diana LaBuda.
The team has seven meets in nine weeks. Swimmers are required to come to three of the six practices a week in order to compete that weekend. Swimming in two meets qualifies a person to be able to go to Divisionals. What happens at Divisionals decides who goes to State.
Swim meets are truly a family affair. Baumann says that many people bring the whole family and pull up to the swimming pool in whatever town they are swimming in on Friday night. They come in travel trailers, tents and even motor homes. Cooking is usually done family style and the entire team and families really get into these meets. It is not unusual to have parents and kids stay around the meet area until that Sunday night.
Baumann said that from his swimming days 21 years ago, he still has friends he hasn't forgotten.
So, if learning to swim is in your future or your kid's future, there is no better place to learn then this summer being a part of the Big Sandy Barracudas Swim Team.
See you there!
