What do 50 students from St.
Anthony's School do during one of the coldest of Schenectady's
winters?
Go swimming, of course.
The students, in grades one
through five, were guests of the Union College Swimming and Diving Team. Fifteen
team members, under the guidance of Head Coach Scott Felix, helped the
youngsters master the swimming basics and enjoy the sport over the course of
the six-week program.
The Union athletes worked with
groups of up to four (beginners got one-on-one lessons), teaching the strokes,
diving and mock racing.
Scott Doig, physical education
teacher at St. Anthony's, said he called the College hoping to arrange a
one-day program. “The swim team far exceeded my expectations by offering a
program that was over a month long, and gave an almost
one-to-one student-teacher ratio.
“In my
classes, I try to give each child the opportunity to try new things and gain
some basic skill in a wide variety of activities,” he said. “Not everyone is
interested in participating in football, baseball or basketball.”
The
youngsters quickly took to the Union swimmers and the pool, despite a tentative
start. Recalling the youngsters' first visit to the pool at Alumni Gymnasium,
Doig said, “There was an excitement felt by everyone in the room that day. The
students … were fidgeting and gaping at the large building that surrounded
them, anxiously awaiting what lay ahead.”
Union's Campus Safety
provided transportation for the students to and from St. Anthony's. “The
kids thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the pool in our own Union College Bus,”
Doig said.
Union's
swimmer-instructors included Heather Bernstein, Tara Campbell, Carolyn Castagna,
Colleen Donlan, Christine Dunn, Elizabeth Henry, Brianne Phillips, Sydnie
Wells, Chuck Kinnett, Andrew Lockwood, Aaron Phillips, Drew Rand, Andrew
Sparkes, Grant Van Der Beken and Steve LaPlante.