Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Summer is here and with summer comes swim team. Children from neighborhoods all over Atlanta practice each day for a chance to go to the county meet. I myself was on a summer swim team for 15 some odd years and loved getting to hang out with kids from my neighborhood and starting the day off being in a pool for an hour or so. Practice consists of laps, laps and more laps. Butterfly, breast stroke, freestyle and back stroke or some combination of the four, sometimes just using your legs and sometimes just your arms to get down the length of the pool. This summer the Decatur Gators have around 150 swimmers from ages five to 18. The team, coached by Beth Costello, holds their practices at the Glenlake Park Pool on the outskirts of the city.
Beth Costello (center), head coach for the Decatur Gators, demonstrates a proper freestyle stroke during swim team practice at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Alexis Rogers swings her arms back as she dives into the pool at Glenlake Park in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Laurent Keenan swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Ava Wong (center) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Sophia Comrie (center) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Anna Taggart uses a kickboard to keep her head above water as she swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
sabel Taggart swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Laurent Keenan swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Ava Wong (center) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Demi Jardine uses a kickboard to keep her head above water as she swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Gabe Smith swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Laurent Keenan swims freestyle laps during swim team practice for the Decatur Gators at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Sophia Comrie (center) kicks as she swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Kai McHale dives into the pool at Glenlake Park in Decatur during swim team practice on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Rosie Couture (left) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Evie Vesper uses a kickboard to keep her head above water as she swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Laurent Keenan swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Gabe Smith comes up for a breath as he swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Isabel Taggart (left) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Ethan Broun (right) comes up for a breath as he swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Isabel Taggart (left) swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Laurent Keenan swims laps of freestyle during practice for the Decatur Gators summer league swim team at Glenlake Park pool in Decatur on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.