There’s a great, untold story about Ky swimming. Our athletes will help tell it.
Swimming is a sport with lifelong benefits. There are ample statistics that highlight the benefits of this cardiovascular-intense, low injury risk sport. Lexington, Kentucky is replete with multiple club swim teams filled with swimmers who are recognized on nearly every level (state, regional, national, international) save one — locally.
There is a story to tell — and it extends far beyond the water.
The largest club swim teams in this city beg, borrow, and bewilder their way to find pool space. The monetization of the sport of club swimming in Lexington is found largely in the cost of pool rental. This sport welcomes athletes of all levels and financial abilities. The requirement? A willingness to battle for and endure whatever pool space is available. The city is not interested in supporting the sport of swimming. A few teams swim outside nearly all year despite the frigid temperatures. When they are not swimming outside, some swim in a poorly lit, ill-fitted bubble that makes swimmers weary, coaches claustrophobic, and neighborhoods grouchy. Tell that story.
Fayette County Public School high school athletic programs honor and regale their primary sports of basketball, football, baseball, and soccer. They renovate facilities; they maintain pristine fields for play. Schools, television stations, and newspapers celebrate these athletes and eagerly promote their successes weekly. Meanwhile, swim teams pay a premium for pool space to host minimal hourly practices. No one highlights their successes. High school swim teams rarely fundraise for events or items that benefit their athletes- they instead fundraise to pay for pool rental costs. Coaches often donate their meager pay to cover fees because no public or private high school has a pool. Tell that story.
KHSAA Regional Swimming and Diving Championships begin on Feb. 3. Fayette County Public Schools are situated in Region 8. This region is a powerhouse in state swimming. Paul Laurence Dunbar won the combined state title last year and are defending that title this year. On their heels are Henry Clay, Lexington Catholic, Lafayette, just to name a few. Many other teams in our city might have a chance to take the regional or state title if they had a little more ability to practice and had the support of their school and their city behind them. Tell that story.
On Thursday, Feb. 3, the Region 8 Championship Meet kicks off with diving, which will be held in Versailles, Kentucky at Falling Springs Aquatic Center. Swimming begins on Friday, Feb. 4 with preliminary competition and ends on Saturday, Feb. 5 with Finals. The Region 8 swim championship is being held at the Stivers Aquatic Center in Barbourville, Kentucky. There is no facility in Lexington that can or will welcome this meet. Union College embraces it. They have a state-of-the-art facility with ample space for all the Region 8 teams and the innate desire to host this meet. Despite the distance and the sheer absurdity of the situation, athletes from Lexington are happy to make the hour and a half drive to compete in Barbourville. Lexington cares little about high school swimming. Barbourville cares significantly. Soon, with Centre College’s announcement for a new 50 meter Olympic-sized facility, Danville, Kentucky will likely care as well. Tell that story.
Maybe swimming is not dazzling enough to pique the interest of sports columnists, broadcasters, or investigative reporters; but there is a story to tell. Come to Barbourville, Kentucky on Feb. 4 or 5 and we will help you write it.
Melanie Gabbard is a mother, volunteer, and fierce advocate for youth swimmers.