Interest on rebound

The timing could not have been better for the Ottawa Swim Club.

It is an Olympic year. By itself, that usually means a spike in interest in youth for the sport.

Add in the fortune of the re-opening of Swim For Life, an indoor pool, and the club is on its way to grow.

A few years ago, when the pool closed, it took the life out of the swimming program. Youth were limited to summer swimming. Interest waned.

The combination of the Olympics — especially the Michael Phelps factor — and the pool has given the swimmers a boost.

“A lot more people are excited about swimming,” sophomore Darrah Jorgenson, who has been a swim club member for six years, said. “We are pumped up for the winter season.”

Jorgenson said it has been hard the past few years of just having a summer season, even more so for her since swimming is her main sport.

“Swimming year round, you can do a lot better,” she said. “Swimming is something you can do year round.”

The club made a push this month for enrollment. Ottawa coach Jeff Brewer said about 10 new members have enrolled, but he wants to get the old members who are no longer in the program interested again.

“My goal is to get the swimmers that left,” the 20-year coach said. “We want to bring them back.”

The success of Olympic swimmers does get the juices flowing in the youngsters.

Brewer said swimmers stayed up late to watch events on television, and texted and called him about the results.

“It is nice to see swimming in the spotlight,” Brewer said.

Jorgenson screamed when Phelps got his record eighth gold medal.

“He finally did it,” she said. “He is the best swimmer ever.”

The Olympians provided heros for the swimmers. Jorgenson also followed 41-year-old Dara Torres, who won 12 career Olympic medals.

“She did not let her dream die,” Jorgenson said.

Brewer said the youngsters talked a lot about those swimmers, even those from other countries.

The coach said the swimmers watched the athletes’ strokes and wanted to duplicate it at their level.

“It is hard to get really good at swimming,” Brewer said.

Sixth-grader Abigail Fangman said she learned a lot by watching the Olympians and it made her want to improve more.

Especially now that she can practice all the time.

Slow pace

Brewer’s coaching philosophy has nothing to do with winning races.

The veteran coach said his focus is not on the medals, but how the swimmer progresses each day.

“All the awards are secondary,” Brewer said. “Those things will come with hard work.

“My main goal is to get them to feel good about themselves ... build up their self esteem. Swimming is something you can be good at.”

An example, he used was a few weeks ago a couple of new boys could not swim the length of the pool. Now they can.

“It is fun to see the kids’ eyes light up,” Brewer said. “After 20 years, that is what keeps me motivated.”

The swimmers practice Monday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Brewer’s main focus right now is working on getting the techniques of each of the strokes right.

“I want them to learn slow first,” Brewer said. “Let’s do it right. Learning the little things will make them better.”

Brewer emphasized that the swimmers do work hard, but slip in a lot of fun along the way.

He said several of the club’s former members tell him all kinds of memories they have. Many of those stories don’t involve winning medals.

Now, those memories are not just limited to the summer time.

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com.