Friends Select’s shimmering 25-yard swimming pool is a hidden gem on the lower level of the school building. It is where generations of students have learned to swim or honed their skills under the tutelage of a dedicated aquatics staff.
Another Day in the Pool
As a former college swimmer, Rae Asbridge, aquatics director and physical education department chair, is a natural as a swimming instructor and coach. She makes sure that students in pre-k through grade ten have swimming as part of the curriculum, with instruction tailored to the appropriate developmental stage:
- For the youngest students (in pre-k and kindergarten), swim class mostly involves water exploration: becoming comfortable in the pool and learning to go under water.
- By first and second grade, students are exhaling under water and beginning to learn free style and back stroke.
- In grades 3-5, the emphasis is on rhythmic breathing, mastering additional strokes and learning to dive.
- Middle school students who have “grown up” in the Friends Select pool, concentrate on competitive strokes and playing water polo.
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- High school swim class emphasizes endurance and aquatic games.
Asbridge’s enthusiasm for all things aquatic is apparent when she talks about the swim program. "Being able to swim is an important safety skill," she says, "but it’s also a fitness activity that you can enjoy for your entire life.”
On Your Mark…
During the winter sports season, two swim teams represent Friends Select. The middle school team is a co-ed group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders who compete with other area schools. The coaches work with the swimmers on their diving and teach flip and stroke turns, in addition to refining their competitive strokes.
The varsity team holds co-ed practices, but competes in single-sex meets in the Friends League. The stringent, four-month program is an opportunity for advanced training in endurance and speed, with coach-led practices five times a week.
“The focus is on individual and team competition,” says Asbridge. Team members consistently place among the top six finishers during the League championships and Friends Select is frequently represented in all-League teams based on individual athletes’ performance.
Lifeguard Training
The pool is also the site of the only actual job training offered through Friends Select School. Each spring, Asbridge offers a Red Cross-accredited lifeguard training class. (This year, the class will be offered on April 18, 19, 25, and 26.) Upon receiving their certificates, students get jobs during the school year, during summers and in college.