Dolphins wrap up a winning season

Competing for the first time in the top division of the Association of Lakeshore Pools (ALPS), the team came in fifth overall out of 22 teams.

Oliver Sugden, a parent-volunteer, is proud of the team. "It was a very impressive showing, especially for their first time run at the Section A finals," said Sugden.

The team was strong and speedy as a whole this year, added Sugden. "As far as the finals are concerned, those that qualify are the fastest swimmers. Out of about 150 kids [in the club] we took 40 to the finals. Most teams only took 20 or so. That in itself is a great achievement."

One the many highlights of the competetion was 14-year-old Mark Ferguson's performance. He broke two ALPS all-time records and earned two first places in the 50-metre backstroke and 50-metre butterfly events.

Taylor Bond, one of the coaches, is also very proud of the relay teams. "They really stepped up to the plate, really performed," said Bond, "I was really impressed".

Team spirit is soaring

Bond added that the kids, whether they were competing or not, showed that they had a lot of team spirit. Many of the club members who didn't qualify for the finals were cheering their friends on at poolside. "Everybody just had such a good time; they made all sorts of new friends," Sugden said of the overall spirit at the finals. "The older kids were really good with the younger ones. It's amazing!"

While the athletes' dedication and team spirit is a big part of the Dolphins's success this summer, Sugden also attributes the club's achievements to this year's new team of head-coaches, brother and sister Taylor and Alison Bond. "They have been wonderful with the kids," said Sugden, "They come from a very competitive swimming family, and they know exactly what they're doing. They also have a good team of coaches in training."

With the Summer Olympics in the minds of all the swimmers, it was a special treat for the kids to compete in a pool with touch pads and electronic counting boards, just like the ones they've been seeing on television. "They're all watching the swimmers in Beijing," said Sugden. "They're calculating that they can take a shot at the 2020 Olympics."

Bond also agrees that the Olympics are having an impact on the swimmers' enthusiasm and dedication. "All 155 kids were talking about the Olympics [at practice] on Monday. They've really gotten into the hype of it," said Bond. They also take cues from watching professional swimmers on screen. "They'll tell me, 'You told me not do so-and-so, and I noticed that Michael Phelps doesn't do it either,'" said the coach. "It's really fun for us coaches to hear that kind of enthusiasm."