The future of area swimming was on display Sunday afternoon during the final stages of the annual High Point Swim Meet at the Aberdeen Aquatic Center.

A variety of individuals who are just getting started in the sport showed that swimming has a bright future.

Izzy Fouts, 10-year-old member of the Aberdeen Swim Club, has been swimming for less than a year, but looked right at home in the water.

She said she doesn’t pay attention to times or the competition.

“I’m just trying to go as fast as I can,” Fouts said.

While Fouts has been swimming for less than a year, she already has a variety of reasons why she enjoys it.

“I love swimming,” Fouts said, “because you get to swim your heart out, and swim for a team, and you get to encourage people.”

There is one stroke that Fouts likes better than the others.

“My favorite is breaststroke, because it’s easy to catch my breath,” she said. “All the other strokes, they just take all my breath away.”

Fouts has grown accustomed to be being in the water. She is also a member of the Aberdeen Aqua Addicts water ski team.

When asked about the differences between the two sports, Fouts responded, “In ski you’re in a lake, and in swim you’re in a pool.”

OFF TO A BLAZING START

The High Point Swim Meet was the official kick off to swimming for 7-year-old Max Newton of Aberdeen, who has been swimming for about a month.

You certainly couldn’t tell that the sport was something new as Newton swam past the competition in just the second race of his lifetime during the 50-meeter freestyle.

When asked what he thought about as he swam the length of the pool, Newton said, “What’s ahead of you.”

Newton comes from an athletic background which is a reason he got involved in swimming.

“My mom was a good swimmer,” Newton said.

His mother is the former Emily Campbell, a standout for ASC who went on to compete collegiately at Boise State and South Dakota State.

Newton also plays basketball and baseball in addition to swimming.

He does have a favorite between the three sports.

“Basketball,” Newton said, “because my dad played basketball.”

His father Brett Newton was a key player for the Northern State men’s squad.

Following his victory in the 50 freestyle, Newton was asked what his favorite event is.

“Probably this one, because you go on your tummy,” Newton said. “I’m faster at backstroke, but freestyle I like better.”

CHEERING ON THE STINGRAYS

One of the individuals cheering the loudest for the Stingrays on Sunday was coach Darien Street. The first-year coach of ACS said he does not use the same methodology on all of the swimmers.

“It goes along with the timeframe that you coach the kids in,” Street said. “The longer you coach the kids, the more you start to know them.”

He noted that some need a softer hand, while others need a little more vocal leadership.

“The longer you work with them, it gets easier to kind of understand what they need and what they don’t need,” Street said.

Street said he tries to shout words of instruction and encouragement during the competition.

“Sometimes they zone you out and sometimes they do hear you,” Street said, “so that extra little motivation, ‘oh I hear my coach yelling at me,’ does help.”

Of course, there are also times when Street yells, but the verbal messages never quite reach their destination.

“Every once in a while I still get a kid who looks at you and says, ‘Coach I can never hear you, but I know what you’re saying,'” Street said.

In reality, it’s more about what is conveyed before and after the competition that has the most impact, rather than what is yelled as swimmers are racing.

“Coaching usually takes place before and after,” Street said. “We like the kids to come and talk to us before the race to kind of give themselves an idea of how they want to approach the race, but we do also want them to come and talk to us after, so we can look at what they did good and did not as well, and what they could focus on improving.”

REPRESENTING BRITTON

One of the competitors on Sunday was 12-year-old Gabby Taylor of Britton.

She said she felt a bit nervous about competing against swimmers from much larger cities.

“I’m a little intimidated,” Taylor said, “but I just try my hardest and try to beat them.”

Taylor talked about her pre-race routine before hitting the water to compete against the other swimmers.

“When I’m getting ready I just kind of warm up and jump around a little bit to help me get ready,” Taylor said. “And then when I get in the water, I just start swimming as hard as I can.”

And once she hits the water, there is one thing on Taylor’s mind.

“I just think about trying to get to the end as fast as I can,” she said.

Taylor has specific goals in mind when he comes to swimming this summer.

“I just want to make it to state,” she said, “and beat the person next to me, of course.”

Taylor said her favorite stroke is the breaststroke.

“I find it soothing and easy to catch my breath,” she said.

FIRST YEAR OF COMPETITION

Another young ASC member in his first year of competition is 11-year-old Pierce Moe.

He said he got involved in swimming because of his family.

“It is a great sport and my parents thought of it, because my bother and sister did it before me,” Moe said.

He said he enjoys swimming because of the benefits it provides.

“It’s a good workout for the whole body,” Moe said.

Moe also competes in tennis, another life-long sport. He said the two sports share something in common.

“They do have good arm (motion) for both of them,” Moe said.

While Moe said he does get nervous before he swims, he has found something that helps him.

“Take a big breath,” he said, “and think you can do it.”

BACK AT THE HIGH POINT MEET

One of the largest delegations at the meet again this season was from Hopkins, Minn., which brought around 70 swimmers to the meet.

“We don’t have a ton of outdoor long course swim meets in Minnesota, so a lot of teams will travel to South Dakota and Iowa,” said Hurricanes coach Julie Stone. “We’ve been coming to this meet for about 15-20 years.”

Stone said there are certain things that keep bringing the squad back.

“It’s a really fun meet, the location and the family relay,” Stone said. “Our families get excited about it.”

Stone said the meet serves as a big team-bonding event for the Hurricanes.

“We have 7-year-olds all the way up through 18-year-olds here,” she said.

While the Hurricanes get a chance to face a variety of competition in Aberdeen, they also get a chance to experience the wide array of weather that accompanies the annual meet.

“You never know what you’re going to get,” Stone said. “We’ve had tornadoes, and we’ve been here through it all and we keep coming back.”