The 2015-2016 Riverside Brookfield boys’ swim and dive team season is in full swing, pushing towards achieving their goals.
With practices every day after school and some days before, the team’s overall speed has increased even within these first few weeks. Even in the beginning of the season, the team is very united and supports one another to become the best they can be.

“Our team’s goal is to become a faster and better team, but to also support each other so that we could individually become faster,” freshman swimmer Gilius Aleska said.

This year the team has two new coaches, Kevin Wolak and Graham Risley. They bring a new style of swimming and practicing to the team. Aleska states that due to the new style which the coaches bring to the team, it will push them to become better swimmers.

From being past swimmers at RBHS themselves, Risley and Wolak directly relate to the stories of many team members. They also create a great practice environment, which balances competition and fun.

Since the team has a positive and determined mindset, they were open to the new coaches and stayed positive during their tough loss this weekend at the Maine East Invite.

“Our team’s mentality is great, but we still have this pressure to become better and faster swimmers,” Aleska said.

The team still struggles with picking themselves up after tough losses and to learn from their mistakes. It will also be a challenge adapting to the new coaching style and, for freshmen, adapting to high school swimming.

What makes boys swim and dive so unique from other sports at RBHS is the bond between the swimmers, coaches, and the pool.

“For swimming, this pool is a special place. Some of us have already been swimming here our whole lives, and being a team is a big part of our sport, as we encourage and support each other during the practices and the meets, giving each other confidence and making each other do better,” Aleska said.

Though swimming may be a team sport, there are individual opportunities. Aleska, and many of the other team members have set individual goals for the season. Some of these goals include: becoming a faster swimmer, improving on technique, having good sportsmanship, fitting in with the team, and learning from their mistakes.

Through the best of dives and the worst of dives, the boys swim and dive team has lots of potential and will bring a strong, unified group that plans to make a big splash this season.