The 2024 Paris Olympics displayed some amazing swimmers. It is hard to believe that Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske were beginners at some point! For many swimmers, they develop their love of the sport and their skills on a team like the Gaylord Gators. The Gaylord Gators is a local indoor swim program, run out of the Otsego County Sportsplex, and is part of the Michigan Team Swim League (MTSL). The Gaylord Gators program, and the MTSL run from October through March, and swimmers will compete in meets throughout Northern Michigan.
Head Coach Leslie Cottrell wants to dispel a myth about swimming. It may seem like one of those sports where the costs are low, but that is not the case. Along with needing suits, caps, and goggles, the swim team must rent out pool space. This cost, in part, is spread among the swimmers and team fundraising efforts. A full season for one swimmer costs anywhere from $300-600. Each swimmer must raise an additional $125 in fundraising.
Some families struggle to pay the required fees. To remove financial barriers for those who want to join the team, the Gators board got creative with their fundraising. In 2023, they applied for a 3-year, sustaining grant through the Community Grant Program to start an Angelfish program. The Angelfish program received multi-year funding from the Kiwanis Club of Gaylord, Rotary Club of Gaylord Fund*, Skerratt Family Fund*, and the Lampert Family Fund.*
Ten of the forty-eight swimmers who swam in the 2023 season had their fees paid for by this program. All families remained anonymous to other teammates-only the Gators board knew who received assistance.
Many Gators are exposed to swimming through 4th-grade swim lessons, which are paid for by the Catt Family Fund of the OCF. This fund was established in 2009 and ensures that every Otsego County 4th grader receives 8 one-hour swim lessons. Since its inception, this fund has awarded $217,960 to support this program. Those who like the sport can move into the Gators program. These lessons reveal potential swimmers, many of whom didn’t know they had an affinity for the water before participating in swimming lessons. Swim lessons offer something much more as well. As the great Katie Ledecky says, “Swimming is the only sport that is also a life-saving skill.”
“This is one of the best parts of being involved with this program. I love seeing kids who are afraid of the water transform into swimmers. They embrace the sport and try out for the team. Before the lessons, they had no idea they were a good fit for the sport.”
-Leslie Cottrell, Gaylord Gatord Head coach.
The Gators program readies swimmers to compete in high school and beyond.
That is the gold of the Angelfish program—giving kids a chance to pursue their passion for swimming. Who knows how far they can go?
*of the Otsego Community Foundation