Frederick has long awaited the arrival of a swimming team to coincide with the other various team sports offered at the school. Withal, after the sweat and tears put into the effort to bring up that idea, the swim team has become a reality throughout Frederick High School athletics. This objective was originally conceived by Vanessa Richards and Avery Morris; who both equally share a love for swimming and competing. From 2015 to 2016, Vanessa and Avery initiated a petition to recruit girls interested in a localized swimming team.

​“It was my sophomore year when we started a petition to see who wanted to swim,” explained Vanessa when asked how she began the process. Through researching, Vanessa discovered that the two most local swim team options were in Longmont and Niwot. ​However, due to the locations, both schools were too distant to be a viable option in addition to neither option confirming with Frederick’s event calendar with early morning practices.

Seemingly, the only other practical option appeared to be Erie, which had an all-girls swim team headed by coach Kelly Shipley. After many cycles of athletic directors, principals, and staff, the daring two were finally able to gain enough traction to successfully recruit seven Frederick girls into the EHS swimming team.

​Typically, when two opposing high schools unite, one would think that there would be some sort friction created. Yet, the team has managed to successfully unite together through motivating and pushing each other including themselves, especially during competitions. Held at the Carbon Valley Recreation Center, the first hosted swim meet happened Wednesday, November 28 against Windsor High School. Although the contending team won against the EHS swimmers, the 74 teammates still supported one another throughout, cheering along each other through their individual races alongside their relay races. When asked about the unity of the group, Richards exclaimed ecstatically, “It’s the [best] thing when you’re standing on deck with a your girls, cheering each of them on.”

Though swimming is commonly referred to as an individual sport, meets are comprised of races utilizing both team participation and solitary effort throughout the team. The relay teams, in particular, require four separate swimmers to complete a race in one or all of the four different strokes (Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke or Freestyle), with the goal being to constantly improve in becoming faster in each race. “So really, the person I’m trying to be better than is my last recorded time (myself),” stated Richards.

The amalgamated team has begun to blossom connections between the two schools. When asked about the relationship between Erie and Frederick, Vanessa affirmed, “We’re all doing the same thing and we love what we’re doing. It makes us all unified!” Come to support our Frederick swimmers at the next planned meet to cheer them on! This meet will be held at the VMAC on December 12th, against Broomfield High School. So come down and see our Frederick’s team compete and improve as they fight their way through to becoming one of the best swim teams in the district