The swim team is making a big splash this year. From school work to extracurriculars, members of the swim team are expected to balance their swim schedule along with their academics.While juggling sports and school is difficult for some, others claim it can be manageable.

“Balancing out school and swimming is not an easy task, but it is very important to always put school first,” junior Melika Dalaki said. “With that being said, if you take the time to set boundaries for both subjects, everything balances out very well.”

Despite the fact that the swimmers have a flexible schedule, preparing for swim meets takes a lot of discipline. Maintaining a healthy diet and staying prepared mentally are crucial to succeeding in a swim meet.

“The most important way to prepare for a swim meet is to eat healthy and mentally prepare yourself and set goals so that you are able to strive for something during your races.”

“Usually the way I prepare for a swim meet is by trying to eat healthy the night before,” Lee said. “Normally nothing with fat or grease but full in carbs or protein, like pasta or steak. I also try to sleep as early as possible.”

Giving up most junk food, such as pizza and donuts are not the only sacrifices a swimmer has to make. Late nights watching Netflix are also a no go when it comes to being up and at em’ for early morning practices and having time for homework.

“I have practice in the morning which gives me extra time after school to get any homework finished,” Lee said. “I also have enough time to go to bed early, so that I can rest for practice in the morning.”

After the loss of half of the varsity team from last year due to the graduated seniors, some team members feel like the season will have a different outlook. However, it remains optimistic.

“This season is going to be a lot different,” Lee said. “However, we have a new head coach who’s excited about coaching us this year and he’s been pushing us a lot at practice. It’ll be difficult to emulate the achievement from last year’s team but we’re working our hardest to be successful this year. Discipline is one of the main factors that contributes to being a successful member on the swim team. While discipline is something that team members learn to acquire throughout the seasons, team bonding is also a major component to the team.

“Every workout out we go through, we go through as a team,” Lee said. “We suffer our losses and celebrate our wins as a team. It is amazing to experience this bond, and it is a large reason why I love being on the swim team.”