Moving to high school is considered to be a big step in a young teenager’s life and joining new activities can bring out the best in someone to help them discover hidden skills and passions. 

The JV Swim Team received 13 new 9th graders while the Varsity welcomed three freshmen who are excited about being there.

“It’s been really hard balancing school grades with swimming practices, but it’s also been really nice and funny to spend time with the older swimmers. They’ve been really helpful and sweet,” freshman Presley White said

In middle school, swimming is not considered a main sport, it functions as a club, so some of the freshmen are struggling with the responsibility they’re having now on the JV team and with the pressure they feel from the coaches.

 “I’ve been swimming since I was five, so I’ve spent basically my whole life swimming, but it’s still been hard because my new coaches are training me way harder than the old ones and we have practice more times a week,” White said. 

With joining the team, a lot of expectations come and challenge the swimmers.

“I’m expecting to see and be a part of at least one of the team’s achievements because I’ve seen that they’re really good, and I wanna be able to participate in that,” freshman Nathan Gongora said. “I also want to get better on the butterfly stroke because I’m struggling a bit with it.”

Despite some of the 9th grade swimmers being new to the sport all together, others have already been in championships and have been swimming competitively for years.

“I’ve been swimming since I was four, and it’s something I always loved doing. I competed for my neighborhood’s swim team a couple years ago and it was really nice, even though it was the only time I swam competitively,” freshman Teagan Fraser said.

Additionally, Klein Oak Swim provides space for students to continue their passion of swimming and adding more titles to their names. 

“This will be my 10th year swimming, and it’s definitely something that I love to do. I’ve been in two championships and it was really nice being a part of them,” freshman Elizabeth Wilson said. “Having the chance to be on the JV Swim Team is just great and I love being able to be there.”