LIHU‘E — Almost all of the field had never done anything like the swim meet, Sunday at the Kaua‘i High School pool. “This is the first time most of these kids ever experienced a real swim meet,” said Jim Rosa,
LIHU‘E — Almost all of the field had never done anything like the swim meet, Sunday at the Kaua‘i High School pool.
“This is the first time most of these kids ever experienced a real swim meet,” said Jim Rosa, whose son was participating in the Mokihana Aquatics Lollipop Meet. “These are swimmers coming off the Learn to Swim program and are having an opportunity to experience what competitive swimmers go through.”
Swimmers from the Kapa‘a, Waimea and Kaua‘i High School pools converged at the Kaua‘i pool for the Mokihana Aquatics Lollipop Meet, each swimmer almost guaranteed a lollipop for completing the on-site registration card for different events.
Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and his wife Regina visited the event where Nalani Brun’s daughter, Kamalani, was one of the Mokihana Aquatics swimmers who exchanged their water wings for official whistles, timer stopwatches and deck registrar pencils and cards.
“I want to commend you parents for the effort it takes to get your child to swim practices and for teaching your child the right way to swim,” Carvalho said. “The days of just jumping into the water to learn how to swim are gone. It is important to teach childen the right way to swim, and on Kaua‘i, swimming is very important to the community.”
Surrounded by water, swimming can be a big part of a person’s recreational activity and active lifestyle.
“Sports, any sport, is a big part of a life,” Carvalho said. “Swimming is important to our community.”
Rosa said this was an example of how young people learn by teaching as Mokihana Aquatics swimmers acted as mentors, teachers and role models during the Learn to Swim program.
“My son didn’t know how to swim, but after four lessons, he can swim,” Rosa said. “He’s here, today, getting his feet wet.”
Rosa said programs such as the Learn to Swim and the Lollipop Meet are important to the community because that’s where young people learn, citing an example where he brought down several canoes from the Boy Scouts’ Koke‘e Camp so the young boys could learn about boat and water safety.
“It’s unfortunate that a lot of these programs are conducted by non-profits who depend on the community’s support for its success,” Rosa said.
Rosa’s Supply was a major contributor to the the Mokihana Aquatics program and the Lollipop Meet, said Orlando “O” Anaya, head coach of the Mokihana Aquatics.
He said the idea for having the lollipop meet comes from the Kapa‘a pool where its program instructor kept talking about having a summer meet.
In the presence of certified meet officials and referees, the young swimmers did not disappoint as several age bracket races provided tight competition, the difference between a first and second place coming off a wall turn, or at a top end surge, much to the appreciation of parents and spectators who raised the same level of cheering as a certified swim meet.
“This meet is really a good place to be,” Rosa said. “There’s good competition, family, fun, and a free lunch. Everyone needs to start somewhere.”
