Swimming is known for its intense pre and post season training and intense practices to prepare for meets.

South alumni, Molly Walsh’16, is a summer swim coach at the Grosse Pointe City Neff Park. In the past, she was coached for Grosse Pointe Gators Swim Club and this will be her third summer coaching for the City Park.

Walsh has been a swimmer since she was seven years old and continued her career all the way through senior year of high school.

“Summer swimming was where I fell in love with swimming, my favorite part of being a swim coach is working with the younger children and being able to help them harbor their own love for the sport,” Walsh said.

Having fun with kids all day isn’t the only part of this job, Walsh said.

“I usually get to work at 7:30 in the morning to set up for 8 a.m. practice with all the kids under the age of 10,” Walsh said. “When working with the 8-and-unders, coaches get in the water to help improve the kid’s swimming techniques and they will practice until 9 a.m.. The nine and 10 year olds swim from 8-9:30, and then every swimmer ages 11 and up practice from 9:30-11.”

According to Walsh’16 becoming a good swim coach takes time and is a huge commitment, similar to the process of becoming a great swimmer.

Caroline Frederickson ’18 and Kathryn Leonard ’18 are swimmers for Grosse Pointe South’s swim team along with swimming for separate summer leagues. “I started competitively swimming when I was about 9 or 10 years old, so I wasn’t really born into a “swim-obsessed” family,” Leonard said.

Leonard currently swims for the Grosse Pointe Farms Barracudas. Although she loves to swim she has other passions too.

“ I don’t swim year round because I have a love for basketball too. I like the balance of the two sports because I feel like I would become tired of swimming all the time. I used to swim all year, but I was convinced by my parents to jump back into basketball again and I am glad I did,” Leonard said.

While she does love swimming for the Grosse Pointe Farms Park, she prefers swimming for her school.

“My favourite season is probably South swimming in the fall because I love the intensity of it. I also enjoy feeling physically tired and accomplished when I get home at about 6:15 p.m. after school and practice,” Leonard ’18 said.

Leonard still knows there is nothing quite like swimming in the warm summer months.

“The best part about summer swimming is to be able to swim outside and be in the sun, mostly because I am the type of person who can’t just sit and stay still to tan. I also enjoy the more laid back feel to the practices and meets but they are still competitive enough for everybody.” said Leonard

Caroline Frederickson has had a different experience when it comes to her swimming career.

“Ever since I was very young I knew I was going to be a swimmer. My mom was a amazing swimmer at the Lochmoor Club when she was younger. I now swim for South and for the Country Club of Detroit.” said Frederickson’18

Frederickson has been a swimmer for 12 years. “I used to swim all year but I found it was too much of a time commitment and I was not completely focused on it” said Frederickson”18

“ I like summer swimming way more than swimming for South because it’s way less serious and I prefer swimming outside than inside,” Frederickson said. “During summer swimming, I met some of my best friends and made so many fun memories in and out of the pool with them.”