Nathan Hale’s boys swim team had a rough dive into the season. From early November to December, they had to wake up as early as 4:45 a.m. to be in the pool by 5:30 a.m. to practice their rigorous and taxing sport. The timing of their practices has had significant effects on both individuals and the whole team.
Seniors and team captains Miles Samant and Jeremiah Thornewell said they have never had to practice this early during their time on the team. They had to practice at this time due to the Roosevelt swim team also needing to practice and Meadowbrook Pool being closed for maintenance.
This was inconvenient for most of the team, as many live close to Hale but far from Green Lake. Thornewell said this required a lot of driving, as he’s often responsible for transporting his teammates.
Sophomore swimmer Ben Wolczyk said that most people on the team had to wake up by 5:00 a.m., meaning that he and his teammates had to go to bed no later than 9:00 p.m. if they wanted the widely recommended 8 hours of sleep. “I don’t think anyone is getting enough sleep,” said Wolczyk.
Fortunately, their practice on December 5th was the last one at this time in the morning. Their practice then began to start at a more reasonable time.
Thornewell also said that due to Running Start and college-related activities, he has difficulty getting to sleep early. He said that he has stayed up until 11:00 p.m.working on projects, meaning he could only sleep for around six hours.
Samant said that although he doesn’t like how their practices are so early and far away, he believes the commitment to waking up in the darkness and commuting to Evans is a “good skill to have.”
Wolczyk agreed, stating that it can toughen people and push them to gain perseverance. However, Wolcyk said that this arrangement is not possible for some people and that it can be very hard to find a ride or bus to Evans Pool if people are not able to drive.
Since practices end around 7:00 a.m., the team has nearly two hours from when they exit the pool to the start of school. Many on the team think this is helpful, including sophomore Alder McCallick. McCallick said one reason for this is that he has a while to eat a second breakfast. Samant and Thornewell also said they like this arrangement.
However, Wolczyk thinks that this time is inconvenient. He said he would like to get more sleep, but finds it hard to take a nap after the intense workout of swim practice, and it is hard to be productive during this gap.
Boys Swim is a very close team. Despite swimming being mostly an individual sport, and their rigorous practices and early-morning schedule, the team has not lost determination and maintains their connection. It is a “great community,” said Thornewell.