Starting on the beaches of St. Thomas more than 25 years ago and moving to a public pool on the island’s East End in late 2006, the St. Thomas Swimming Association has turned thousands of Virgin Islanders into swimmers.
Named after one the larger donors, the “Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises Community Aquatic Center,” aka the Estate Nazareth pool, was the result of a long, hard campaign of raising awareness and capital. It now offers Learn to Swim classes for all age groups, from toddlers to adults, as well as Aquatic Rehab sessions for stroke and heart attack victims or anyone who may benefit from physical therapy aimed at increasing function and reducing pain.
It is also home to the St. Thomas Stingrays swimming team, whose members grew to 86 this year, 19 of them qualifying to participate in last weekend’s Swimming Federation of Puerto Rico meet in San Juan.
Tesroy and Mackya Phillips’ 9-year-old son was one of those.
“He qualified in butterfly,” said his mother, her pride in that accomplishment matched by her delight in his academic success. “He has made the honor roll for the very first time in his life,” she said.
Since he started swimming lessons in September, he began to manage his time more productively, reserving specific hours for homework arranged around his swimming lessons.
“It’s a routine now for him where there was no routine,” she said. “It helped him focus.”
Two of the couple’s other 12 children also started lessons in September. “My seven-year-old daughter is doing absolutely great” having already advanced from the entry-level Bronze class to Silver, Phillips said, and “my 12-year-old (boy) has gone Gold.” The fourth, and highest class, is Senior.
John Vasbinder, whose 35 years experience in aquatic competition includes working with the St. Croix Dolphins, is the new head coach for the Stingrays. Between his time in Australia and in the U.S., he has coached 52 USA All Americans, 12 Olympic swimmers, and six national record holders, according to the STSA website.
Also new on the scene is assistant coach Susan Andrews, who spent roughly half her 30-year career working at Lehigh University, a Division One school on the collegiate circuit.
Not everyone is going to be a champion – or even make the team – but the association aims to make all its students comfortable in the water and aware of basic safety.
Besides enrolling individual students in its ongoing programs, STSA partners with various organizations to take groups for lessons. Brianna Burks, who has taught at the pool for two years, said it has welcomed students from the Boy Scouts, Camp Shriver, Housing Parks & Recreation, and Gardening Club summer camps, as well as from the VI Montessori School and International Academy.
Tomorrow, she will begin a 12-week, twice-a-week program for students from Bertha C. Boschulte Junior High School, the first for a public school. Burks credited BCB school principal Carver Farrow and the Sunrise Rotary Club with organizing the program.
The association wants to become more active in the community, beyond its basic mission of teaching swimming, Burks said.
“We’re hoping to start a number of community programs after the first of the year,” she said. Those may include after-school tutoring for students who need extra help and special events like movie nights, with the pool area becoming a sort of drive-in movie theater. Plans are still in the works.
Meanwhile, the association has organized a couple of holiday events. The first was a food drive for Thanksgiving and the second will be a Dec. 22 Christmas party.
Phillips, who works two days a week at the pool, is the coordinator of the upcoming event. The Christmas party will feature food, games and toys and a performance by Carib Tribe, a singing group comprised of three of her sons. Those who want more information or to donate a new toy for the event can call Phillips at 514-5665.
More information on the Swimming Association and programs and costs at the pool is online at www.stthomasswimming.org.
