KIF swimming in 2000: the good, the bad, the ugly

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is not just a Western movie classic.

It’s

also an appropriate metaphor for the state of Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation

swimming over the last several years.

“Good” is the extraordinary number of

swimmers participating.

It’s a resurgence of sorts. Kaua’i’s high schools

have not enjoyed this amount of swimmers since the days of age group swimming

when Kaua’i boasted four quality youth programs — the North Shore Swim Club,

the Kaua’i Swim Club, Mokihana Aquatics and the West Kaua’i Swim Club — all

feeding swimmers to the high schools.

Another “good” is that the numbers

are equally distributed among the schools.

So, unlike a year ago when

numbers alone told us that the Kaua’i High girls and the Kapa’a boys would win

championships, this year there should be a fight for the top.

“Bad” is the

fact that some meets are still being held at pools without starting blocks and

wall targets, and with lanes that are too narrow.

A prominent, experienced

swimming administrator, when asked why this is allowed, said, “the quality of

swimming on Kaua’i is so bad that it doesn’t matter.”

“Ugly” is the actual

swimming itself. One would be hard pressed to find the last time a Kaua’i

individual swimmer met or bettered the qualifying time to enter the state

meet.

A few relay teams have qualified, but there hasn’t been any Kaua’i

swimmers or relay teams in the finals of the states in over 10 years.

This

year could be a turnaround year, and if it isn’t this year, it could happen

within a few years.

Youth swimming is on the way back as evidenced by the

large turnout in the recent Ed Ho Swim Meet in Waimea.

And all of the

coaches at the high school level at Kapa’a, Waimea, Kaua’i High and Island/Kula

Schools have strong will and desire.

With commitment and dedication, the

promotion of quality swimming can be accomplished.

The swimmers and coaches

can use the words of Bill Sweetenham, the director of coaches for Australian

swimming, for inspiration:

“Good enough is not good enough when perfect is

possible.”

The first high school swim meet is in less than a month — the

KIF Invitational Meet on Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Waimea Pool.