Jackson-Reed has some very high profile sports. It’s mostly the classics: basketball, football, and soccer; even the crew team gets publicity. But what about one of Jackson-Reed’s lesser known sports: swimming? What does being a Tiger Shark look like, and how does the swim team work? These questions were burning in my mind, so I talked to sophomore swimmer Claire Yoder to get some answers.
Yoder wakes up Monday mornings to the sound of her alarm blaring at 5:00 am. She packs her bags, makes her breakfast, and heads out the door. It’s time for swim practice.
While practice doesn’t start till 6:45, all swimmers have to be at Jackson-Reed at 6:00 am to get on the bus to Takoma Aquatic Center. The Tiger Sharks must commute to Takoma as the Wilson Aquatic Center is currently closed indefinitely by the Department of Parks and Recreation. When I heard this, I was shocked at the level of commitment shown by the team. How do they stay awake?
Yoder mentioned a lot of frustration about the closure of Wilson Aquatic Center due to the many inconveniences it poses. After practice, which ends at 8:00, the team gets back on the bus, which “takes forever because of the traffic” and can cause swimmers to be late for class.
Yoder is one of many incredible JR swimmers who have other sports practices during the week in addition to morning swim. On Mondays, after a morning practice and a full day of school, she makes the after school trek to American University where she has a second practice from 4:30 to 7:00, for her club swim team, Nation’s Capital Swim Club.
By now I’d gotten a good look at the typical swimming day-to-day life. But I sought more information. What’s the draw of the team? “I love the people, I love the meets, and I love being a part of a sports team at Jackson-Reed,” Yoder explained.
Swim meets are almost always at the H.D. Woodson Aquatic Center. Yoder mentioned the high-energy environment and support for fellow teammates that fuels the Tiger Sharks. She shared, “relays are especially fun because it’s exciting to root for each other.” The team has been doing well this year, and go to the DCIAA championships, Metros, and the DCSAA championships in late January and early February.
Just learning about a Tiger Shark’s day exhausted me, so I bid Yoder goodbye and left with new respect for all the brave swimmers of the team. Their valiant efforts to bring swimming glory to JR inspired me, and I hope to hear more about our fearless swim team in the future.
