Swimming, a fun activity for most people, is actually a sport to many. Carolina Forest has a great team coached by Jeff Goodman and Michelle Barnhill.
Goodman, a physical education teacher has been coaching a variety of sports for 25 years, but this is his sixth season coaching swim. In the fall time Goodman can be seen standing poolside and in the spring he is found on the field coaching the girls soccer team.
Goodman shared, “I enjoy sharing my passion for sports with athletes who share similar passions. Winning is fun, but my favorite part is building relationships with my athletes. It is especially rewarding when former athletes stay in touch and share their life stories as they grow.”
The swim team spends many hours preparing for meets. They practice for 90 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Since we do not have a pool at our school for the athletes to practice, they hold their practices at Conway Recreation Center. Although the team only practices together three times a week, many athletes spend time on their own preparing and practicing for meets.
Sophomore Ryan Markham has been swimming for a little under two years. Markham wanted to begin swimming to stay in shape. Outside of team practices, he practically live at Fitness Edge, where they have a 20-yard pool.
“I really enjoy being a part of this team. We all support each other at practice and meets. After every race, we give each other high fives and fist bumps. Even when things don’t go as well as we hope, we still congratulate each other and hold our heads and work to win the next race,” stated Markham.
Being a part of a team takes teamwork. The members of this team all strive to work together to grow individually and as a team. These athletes are all working towards a common goal and support each other throughout working towards this goal.
Junior Michaela Yock has been swimming for seven years. Along with being a student athlete, she also swims competitively with a club team. She attends practices for both teams, which allows for her to work on building her skill level.
Yock commented, “I love being a part of the CF Swim team. This team is like its own family. Each member has their own personality which makes practice and meets so much fun.”
If you are interested in attending a swim meet, their schedule can be found on the CF Athletics website and app! Come support our Panthers!
