For PV’s Boys Swim Team, the same situation applies. Varsity swimmers are now tapering for their meet this Saturday, while others finished last weekend with the JV Mac taper meet.
However, this time of the season comes with its own physical and mental challenges.
Similar to other sports, the Boys Swim Team is incredibly tight-knit, largely due to the fact that the varsity and junior varsity swimmers practice together under the same coach and exercise routine. Swimmers suffer the sport together, all bound under the same expectations, forcing a relationship built on perseverance and mutual accomplishment.
Lucas Haas, a senior and four-year member of the swim team, shares what he believes makes the bond between swimmers so strong, regardless of skill level. “Being part of this team is more than just competing together. We push each other, support one another through challenges and celebrate every victory as brothers. In and out of the pool, it’s a brotherhood built on trust and dedication.”
At the end of the season, however, swimmers struggle with the reality that not everyone will be eligible for the District meet or the State meet afterward. The team is split up based on speed as different groups begin to practice separately in preparation for the end-of-the-season taper meet.
Junior Varsity swimmers swam this weekend at the Muscatine JV Mac invite, marking the end of their season. PV slammed the competition, winning by over 200 points and placing first in every single event. This marks the JV squad’s fourth consecutive MAC title, an incredible legacy to leave behind for the senior class.
Unfortunately, this means the team is separated, and the varsity swimmers will have to persist through the rest of the season without their lesser-skilled “brothers.” While they’re excited for their end-of-the-season meets, the common notion is that the team has been split up and morale is lower than usual.
Four-year swim team member and varsity swimmer Ethan Arter feels a shift in team dynamics without the junior varsity swimmers. “You can definitely tell how different the atmosphere is without the JV members and you really realize how important they are to this team.”
The unintentional bonds that athletes make may be among the strongest. Suffering through a sport, no matter how strenuous, bonds individuals together in their suffering and can form a relationship that lasts a lifetime. As the season ends, athletes feel a sense of dread that they’ll no longer be able to train alongside those they’ve grown so close to.
Four-year swim team member and junior varsity swimmer Isaac Neumann feels similarly after having completed his season “Now that swim season is over, I’m left with a lot of extra hours to fill that I otherwise would’ve spent with some of my best friends.”
The relationships athletes make are important, which is why it’s all the more essential to nurture them even after the sporting season ends to prevent this feeling of dread and be able to look back at the end of the sporting season with satisfaction rather than sadness.
