It's a lonely feeling going into a swim meet for the first time, standing on the blocks surrounded by judges and rows spectators.
That is why the Olds Rapids Swim Club holds mini-meets to prepare its novice members for the real deal. Like the one held on Dec. 10 at the Olds Aquatic Centre, there are no lane and stroke judges, no disqualifications and the times are unofficial.
The mini-meet last week brought swimmers from the Canadian Badlands Aquatic Club in Drumheller, the Sylvan Lake Nauticals and the Three Hills Neons. In total, about 30 participants from outside Olds.
They ranged in age from six to 17 years old and competed in 25-metre(m) heats in the freestyle back, breast and butterfly strokes.
Jeff Thompson, president of the Rapids, said the goal was to balance fun with development, allowing swimmers to gain experience without the pressure that comes with sanctioned meets.
His daughter Paige was one of the Rapids taking part. The Grade 4 student at Ecole Olds Elementary School said she was nervous during the event but had fun.
“It's great to see these non-competitive swimmers get a little bit of experience of what a meet is like. It's very relaxed,” said Graeme Gordon, head coach of the Rapids.
“We don't have any disqualifications – that's not the point of the mini-meet. It's just get in, show parents what you can do and how far you've come the last several months of training.”
