Vikings Swim Club find success in family
Published:Sunday | February 19, 2023 | 2:23 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
To access this article in full please login or register today
IN THEIR second full season of competition for Vikings Swim Club, head coach Alex Parkes is already seeing growth from his young swimmers, growth that he hopes will continue in years to come. Vikings finished fifth at the Karl Dalhouse Memorial...
IN THEIR second full season of competition for Vikings Swim Club, head coach Alex Parkes is already seeing growth from his young swimmers, growth that he hopes will continue in years to come.
Vikings finished fifth at the Karl Dalhouse Memorial Swim Meet on February 4 with 227 points, a meet that was won by Tornadoes Swim Club with 1,118 snatching the title away from last year’s winners YS Speedos who finished second with 913. Despite finishing out of the frame, Parkes is pleased with the performances of a team that came into existence during the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It started in 2020 before we were official, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had a group of children that we taught technique. They had a base but we taught them the proper technique and we are still doing it. They are young, so it will take some time. This is part of a five-year plan to get us to a good state,” Parkes told The Sunday Gleaner.
That plan, according to Parkes, is built on an emphasis on technique and detail.
“Our formula is based on detail and we spend a lot of time working on the detail. So everything from head placement, body orientation and alignment, to positioning in the water. Another thing that you can’t really recreate is chemistry. So, a lot of our coaches, we spend a lot of time with the children to ensure that they are supported, they are understood, they feel valued in whatever we teach them,” Parkes said.
“Because a lot of the time as young children they don’t know their bodies. So body awareness is a really important thing, and having that concept explained to them in a detailed fashion in alternative ways, that is the key.”
Vikings had participated in swim meets in 2021 when they were an unattached group, and were made official last year.
What makes Vikings different from other clubs, in Parkes’ estimation, is the family culture they have cultivated, which puts them in the position to learn, grow and succeed.
“Our goals are not to just have great swimmers. Our goals are far deeper. What really makes us different, aside from the chemistry, we are one family. We cry together, we win together. We do incorporate family support within our club. Success, to me, at this stage, is that each swimmer accomplishes the personal goals that they have set,” Parkes said.