By: Warren Shiu, Staff Writer
Mills High School’s swim team is making history this year—but not quite the kind they had in mind. When the school pool was suddenly shut down for “technical issues” early this season, the team was left to practice on dry land.
Coach Christy insists that the change is “an exciting opportunity for innovation.” The new program includes dry-land freestyle, air butterfly, and an especially demanding exercise called “Invisible Water Kicking,” where swimmers are on their backs and pretend to kick forward. Some even practice flip turns on the gymnasium wall, a drill that Christy calls “mental visualization.”
Alex Vasquez (12), a seasoned swimmer known for his backstroke, expressed his concerns about the new training methods. “I’ve been swimming competitively for six years,” Vasquez said. “I never thought I’d have to practice my freestyle on the ground.” When asked whether the new land-based approach might improve endurance, Vasquez scoffed. “If Coach wanted us to get better, we’d be in a pool. Not running laps.” He went on to explain that during the last practice, he and his teammates were told to “float” on the basketball court, leading to multiple swimmers lying flat on their backs and staring at the ceiling in silence.
David Li (11), however, sees the bright side. “Honestly, I’m thriving,” he admitted. “I never was so great at swimming for real, but I look great performing the moves on dry land. My 100-meter freestyle time now is as fast as I’d like it to be,” Li said. “Because there’s no water, it’s just me and my imagination.” He’s even racing himself now and claims he set a world record.
Another junior and self-proclaimed “team cheerleader,” Sophie Hlushko, is also looking forward to the season. “I was devastated at first,” Hlushko said. “But then I thought—well, if there’s no pool, there’s no chance of me falling into the water like I already have once this season. This is really the safest I’ve ever felt.” Hlushko took this a step further in her dedication, starting an online petition to keep practices dry even after the pool reopens.
She’s also started designing team T-shirts that read “Swim Team: Now 100% Dry” in bold letters. The controversy has sparked mixed reactions from the student body. Some non-swimmers have begun showing up to practice just to watch the bizarre spectacle of students dramatically diving onto the grass and performing air strokes with terrifying intensity.
For now, the mystery of the broken pool goes unsolved, and the swim team keeps on figuring it out. Coach Christy was not bothered. “We are going to win the league this year,” she promised. “Once we get in the pool again, that is.”
Meanwhile, students shouldn’t be alarmed if they catch some group of players kicking and flailing their arms in the middle of the quad. It’s just another practice day.
