Biddeford High School Swim Team
Donation protected
*Not all members present in above photo
The Story
The Biddeford Swim Team has been working in cooperation with the Thornton Academy Swim Team for the past 3 seasons. Next season, 2018/2019, the swimmers of Biddeford want to separate from TA and become an independent team, with our own practices and dual-meets. This would require funds for pool time, hiring a coach, and transportation. Without this funding we will likely stay with TA for 2 or 3 more seasons, or not separate at all. This is not an option for upperclassman athletes as they will not be on the team in future seasons to witness a fully independent Biddeford team. With your help we can finally get the funds we need to make the dream team come true.
Some Team Accomplishments
This season while Biddeford was in a co-op team with TA, we were able to rank at championship meets such as Southwesterns and states. We ranked 8th at Southwesterns and at 16th states, which is a great improvement from previous seasons. We also shattered two Biddeford records, the 200 free relay with a time of 1:36.94 (previously 1:37.81) and the 50 free with a time of 23.36 (previously a 23.43). The relay record was set by Aidan Donovan, Liam Donovan, Brett Lewis, and Lucas Girard while the 50 free record was set by Aidan Donovan.
Why We Need Our Own Team
Swimmers on co-op teams are faced with some extreme disadvantages in competition at dual-meets. While all swimmers on normal teams are able to swim in normal heats (races), most times co-op swimmers are put into exhibition heats. These heats sometimes have a few other swimmers, but most times none. It can be extremely disheartening to race in an empty pool. After all, isn't the point of a meet to race against others? To have competition? Biddeford swimmers don't get competition. In dual-meets we can not even score. Even if we are put into a normal heat and score first, Biddeford will not see a single point put to it's name. Instead, the swimmer will practically get removed from the event in scoring, like they were disqualified or didn't swim at all. This makes meets lose meaning, as no matter how hard you try there is no possible way to score or win anything. We want to change this, we want our meets to have meaning, to know what it means to win. With our own team we finally will have the ability to do so, to prove that we are capable.
What We Plan to Do with Acquired Funds
If you so choose to donate, it will go directly to the team, and in the rare case that we have money left over, it will go towards the next season, or the next generation of swimmers. It will first go towards funding pool time so we can have practices and get in workouts. This may be at the UNE pool or the at the YMCA in Biddeford. Second, we would pay a salary to a coach, or multiple coaches. We need someone to make us workouts, make meet lineups, and generally keep us in check, but people don't work for free. Third, we would have to pay for transportation and buses for the team to go to and from meets. We need to get to other pools for meets somehow. This is what we need to get funding for if we want our own team.
Why We Need to Fund Raise
Although most teams are able to get started with school funding, the swim team hasn't been allocated any funds from the school. After requesting, we were told that the money simpling isn't there, and they have more important things to put money towards. This fund raiser would give us the money that the school won't. It would also give us more of a presense and we would likely recieve funding in following years. We just need this to get a jump start.
Thank You
The Story
The Biddeford Swim Team has been working in cooperation with the Thornton Academy Swim Team for the past 3 seasons. Next season, 2018/2019, the swimmers of Biddeford want to separate from TA and become an independent team, with our own practices and dual-meets. This would require funds for pool time, hiring a coach, and transportation. Without this funding we will likely stay with TA for 2 or 3 more seasons, or not separate at all. This is not an option for upperclassman athletes as they will not be on the team in future seasons to witness a fully independent Biddeford team. With your help we can finally get the funds we need to make the dream team come true.
Some Team Accomplishments
This season while Biddeford was in a co-op team with TA, we were able to rank at championship meets such as Southwesterns and states. We ranked 8th at Southwesterns and at 16th states, which is a great improvement from previous seasons. We also shattered two Biddeford records, the 200 free relay with a time of 1:36.94 (previously 1:37.81) and the 50 free with a time of 23.36 (previously a 23.43). The relay record was set by Aidan Donovan, Liam Donovan, Brett Lewis, and Lucas Girard while the 50 free record was set by Aidan Donovan.
Why We Need Our Own Team
Swimmers on co-op teams are faced with some extreme disadvantages in competition at dual-meets. While all swimmers on normal teams are able to swim in normal heats (races), most times co-op swimmers are put into exhibition heats. These heats sometimes have a few other swimmers, but most times none. It can be extremely disheartening to race in an empty pool. After all, isn't the point of a meet to race against others? To have competition? Biddeford swimmers don't get competition. In dual-meets we can not even score. Even if we are put into a normal heat and score first, Biddeford will not see a single point put to it's name. Instead, the swimmer will practically get removed from the event in scoring, like they were disqualified or didn't swim at all. This makes meets lose meaning, as no matter how hard you try there is no possible way to score or win anything. We want to change this, we want our meets to have meaning, to know what it means to win. With our own team we finally will have the ability to do so, to prove that we are capable.
What We Plan to Do with Acquired Funds
If you so choose to donate, it will go directly to the team, and in the rare case that we have money left over, it will go towards the next season, or the next generation of swimmers. It will first go towards funding pool time so we can have practices and get in workouts. This may be at the UNE pool or the at the YMCA in Biddeford. Second, we would pay a salary to a coach, or multiple coaches. We need someone to make us workouts, make meet lineups, and generally keep us in check, but people don't work for free. Third, we would have to pay for transportation and buses for the team to go to and from meets. We need to get to other pools for meets somehow. This is what we need to get funding for if we want our own team.
Why We Need to Fund Raise
Although most teams are able to get started with school funding, the swim team hasn't been allocated any funds from the school. After requesting, we were told that the money simpling isn't there, and they have more important things to put money towards. This fund raiser would give us the money that the school won't. It would also give us more of a presense and we would likely recieve funding in following years. We just need this to get a jump start.
Thank You
Organizer and beneficiary
Lucas Girard
Organizer
Biddeford, ME
Donald Girard
Beneficiary