ESTEVAN - The Estevan Golden Eels swim club will be back in the pool for a competitive season this year, and they are looking for swimmers to join the highly successful organization.
Deanna Tarnes with the club said the season is slated to start on May 16, after the annual pool shutdown at the Estevan Leisure Centre is completed. Forty-three swimmers had registered as of Friday and they can accommodate 17 more.
“With COVID the past two years, we just need to rebuild a little bit,” said Tarnes.
In order to join, members have to be at least seven years old and comfortable swimming in the deep end. They also need to be capable of swimming a full length of the pool.
In past years, they have had enough young swimmers to replenish the ranks after swimmers age out.
The Eels have been the class of Saskatchewan’s summer speed swimming program, as they won provincial championships from 2015-2019.
“It’s a strong program, and kids usually stay in it. Once you join, you’re an Eel for life. It’s a short season, a fun season and it’s something different.”
The majority of the swimmers are returning members who have been part of the five straight provincial championships, but the Eels are looking for a few new families.
Practices happen every day at the leisure centre pool from 4-6 p.m. They split into age groups and swim for an hour at a time.
The first meet of the season will be in Estevan on June 18.
Charlotte Andrist will be the head coach and they are looking for two junior coaches. Andrist was a head coach last year and has been a junior coach previously.
Their season was cancelled in 2020 and last year they held practices, but because of COVID there were no full meets. There were a couple of competitions in the summer once restrictions were lifted, with one in Weyburn and the other in Oxbow. Tarnes noted it was the first meet in Oxbow in their new pool.
For more information, email estevangoldeneelsclub@gmail.com.
