Community Swim Club team caps undefeated season with gold in North Hills league championships
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Community Swim Club is making waves in the North Hills Summer Swim League.
An undefeated season was capped with a win in the championship meet July 15, ranking them as the top regional team in the Gold Division.
It was the first time in more than five years that the Community Swim Club (CSC) swim team earned first place in both the season record, going 7-0, and the end-of-season competition which pits the top swimmers from each team in a head-to-head race.
“Watching the team hold high two first-place trophies and seeing the swimmers’ smiles were the highlights of the season,” said Heidi Stanczak, a parent volunteer. “This is particularly remarkable as CSC won first place in the North Hills Summer Swim League’s Gold Division which included the top eight teams in the North Hills area.”
Some of the eight clubs in the section included Fox Chapel Racquet Club, McCandless and Hampton.
In each meet, there are 41 events where swimmers are challenged to beat the best times.
Head Coach Kaila Derry, a math teacher at Fox Chapel Area High School, said it was particularly exhilarating after the 2020 season was suspended for covid-19 restrictions.
“It’s so exciting because we’ve never gone undefeated in the Gold Division before,” said Derry, a resident of Oakmont.
When Derry first joined the swim club as coach six years ago, the team swam in the silver bracket with a much smaller group.
The team has grown steadily from about 115 children, ages 5-18, to nearly 160 athletes this year.
“We try to make it a fun experience and get them started on learning sportsmanship, teamwork and dedication,” Derry said. “If you put all those things together, the winning comes with it.”
Her interest in coaching was sparked during her college years at Slippery Rock, where she founded the university’s swim club.
“These kids get to be a part of something unique,” Derry said. “When you get older, you’re not on a team with 158 other kids. I hope they continue to have fun, get a good workout and learn the value of teamwork.”
Parent volunteer Susan Buchman said she reveled in the victories that piled up this season but is most appreciative that the coaches focus on team spirit and self-esteem.
“They encourage swimmers of all levels,” she said. “Some of them can barely make it across the pool but the coaches and all the teammates are invested in sportsmanship and fitness and making sure everyone has confidence.
“We’re all happy to have won all seven meets this season but we focus every year on having fun.”