"Swimming at Exeter Is a 100% New Experience!"

February 26, 2008

Members of the boys swim team take a breather between sets

"Swimming at Exeter is unlike swimming anywhere else," says Parker '08. He adds, "What really makes the team so special is the enthusiasm shared by all of the team members." This can be a real plus for athletes who come from large swim team programs that span a wide range of ages and skill levels.

David '11 feels much different about swimming now. "Before I came to Exeter, I used to hate swimming. Now that I've come here, my perspective has totally changed. I've gotten new friends, a fantastic mentor, and the sense of pride of being on the varsity team."

Each year, Exeter works to extend the consistent record of success for the boys varsity — nine New England Prep School Swimming Association (NEPSSA) championships through 2005. According to Co-captain Owen '08, the things that contribute most to the team's success are "an individual work ethic and a respect for the history of the team. Everyone is proud to be a part of the whole tradition, and that inspires you to work very hard."

Coach Mills believes Exeter — winner of three out of four NEPSSA meets thus far this season — will be in the top tier of teams at this year's NEPSSA Championship meet on March 4, along with Deerfield, Andover, Choate and Suffield. Coach Mills thinks "It will be a good competition among these teams going into the Championship meet." When asked about his main goal for the remainder of the season, Coach Mills responded, "To have all the guys on the team ready so that they get their lifetime best times at the Championship meet."

Co-captain Niall '08 believes the well-coached program makes better swimmers. "Exeter swimming has a long-standing tradition of introducing each swimmer to the next level of training and racing. If you are willing to put in the effort, this team and program will truly make you a better athlete and competitor." To help individual swimmers progress while keeping the practices on track, Coach Mills takes advantage of some of the program's new technology. "We try to give a lot of individual attention to stroke work. We use a great TIVO underwater camera system to record and play back our swimmers, and pick out kids in practice if we see something wrong." He continues, "We pull them to a side lane and work with them one-on-one for 10 minutes, making some corrections, and then they can go back into the workout."

A key advantage of Exeter's program is that it supports the academic and swimming goals of students. Swimmers can train most of the year with a water polo program in the fall, the winter swim season, and dry-land training and pool access in the spring. Winter swim practices are integrated into the overall student schedule and the pool is only a short walk away.

Competitive swimmers are used to lots of laps in the pool, which limits their ability to interact and talk. So to keep practices productive and fun, Coach Mills plans as much variety as possible. One example is the ever-popular "frappe relays." "We set up relay teams as evenly as possible. For added incentive, the winning team gets to charge a frappe at the Grill on my account. Those are always fun for the team!"

Parker appreciates this mixing of fun into the workouts and after practices. "Even on the dreariest days, everyone is willing to get in the pool and put effort into getting better, but we always have time to joke around."

Swimming at Exeter means a lot more than swimming laps: surprisingly tough competition, a successful championship caliber program, great facilities, and knowledgeable coaches – but most of all it's about being part of a close-knit team of friends that have fun working together to achieve personal and team goals. "Some of my best friends are on the swim team and we always spend time together outside of practice. All of these things contribute to making a great group of friends and swimmers that come together to make a successful swim team," says Parker.

It's clear where Alex has his sights when he says, "Having the chance to be on a team that may win the New England Championships is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

These positive athletic experiences are not limited to the boys swim team. There are nine other varsity teams competing this winter, along with their JV counterparts. Altogether, there are approximately 466 athletes competing this winter season, with roughly equal representation between girls and boys teams (with the exception of wrestling).

Interested in learning more?

Find out more about the boys swim team and girls swim team and schedules…

Check out the boys water polo team and girls water polo…

Learn more about Exeter's athletics...