Swim program to begin

Published: February 1, 2012

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COAL TOWNSHIP - Special Olympics Pennsylvania Northumberland Snyder will host swimming practices for the ninth year at the Shamokin Area High School pool.

Practices will be Fridays, f, 6 to 8 p.m., starting Feb. 3 and continuing through the end of May.

"The swimmers have been anxious to start practices," reports Arden Miller, swim coach. "I have gotten calls from athletes every week since before Christmas."

The program has grown from six swimmers the first year to 25 swimmers and two unified partners in 2011.

Volunteers are needed to make this program successful, and can help in a variety of ways. Transportation to and from Mount Carmel for practices is needed for two swimmers. Pool deck volunteers are always needed for timing the swimmers, keeping track of attendance and encouragement.

Volunteers with swimming experience can teach swimming skills to beginners, work with more experienced athletes on dive starts, flip turns, teaching new strokes and improving strokes. Practices cannot be held without certified life guards. Volunteers can provide transportation to swim meets.

The Shamokin Area School District asks that all adult volunteers have clearances. These can be completed through the Special Olympics program.

Volunteers can also participate as unified partners. This is a chance for people without intellectual disabilities to join in the sports experience by practicing during the swim season and competing as a part of a relay team with Special Olympics athletes.

This opportunity is open to non-swimmers who wish to learn to swim and to swimmers who wish to improve their skills. A unified partner must have a physical completed by a physician prior to attending practices.

Special Olympics practices are open to anyone who is at least eight years old and identified by an agency or professional as having intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities. The swimming program is open to athletes six years old, but younger swimmers may not compete. The swim program offers lessons to beginner swimmers and a chance to improve swimming skills for swimmers who already know how to swim. Opportunities to compete on a local, invitational and statewide level are offered. Athletes must have a physical completed by a physician prior to attending practices.

SOPA Northumberland Snyder hosts other sports practices in the two-county area. More information about the program can be obtained by calling Miller at 374-5369.

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