LONGMONT — Alex Bisping can’t get enough of the sport of swimming.
“It definitely takes a lot of energy,” the sophomore swimmer at Longmont’s Silver Creek High School said. “Sometimes you have to wake up at 4 in the morning to go to practices. But the payoff is worth it.”
Bisping, a competitive runner before his days in the pool, began swimming after watching his brother compete in the sport. It seemed fun, different and challenging. Since then, Bisping has been hooked. Along with his duties at Silver Creek, he competes year-round for the Rally Sport club team in Boulder.
“It helps you get in shape,” said Bisping, whose brother, Matt, is a senior on the Silver Creek swimming team. “It’s hard on your body, but it’s fun.”
Despite long hours in the pool and the physical demands of swimming, more boys in Colorado are starting to follow Bisping’s lead.
From 2004 to 2008, the number of boys competing for their high school swim team has averaged more than 1,800 participants per year in Colorado, according to the Colorado High School Activities Association. Data for the 2008-09 season won’t be available until later this month.
Before the 2005-06 season, boys swimming hadn’t been over the 1,800 plateau in 13 years.
“More schools are offering the sport because of high demand,” said Bethany Schott, an assistant commissioner for CHSAA. “The more opportunities, the better.”
Longmont swimming coach Marie Huff thinks boys don’t realize how easy the sport is to learn and the adrenaline rush it creates.
“Freshman boys don’t come out; they wait. But then they hear how fun it is and that everyone can do it, and they join as sophomores or juniors,” Huff said. “They just don’t realize how fun it is. Anyone can start at the bottom and move the way up to go pretty far.”
Five years ago, Silver Creek and Niwot joined teams, and Longmont and Skyline united forces. The move was necessary because the schools were struggling to get boys out for swimming.
“At the beginning it was hard,” Silver Creek co-coach Stephen Beam said. “But it was the best thing to happen to boys swimming in the St. Vrain Valley. Would we be as competitive with our own teams? Not at all.”
Longmont and Silver Creek average about 30 swimmers each per year. Those are comfortable numbers for all local coaches. There are no cuts, everyone competes and the squad bonds with ease.
“Too many swimmers and you’re worried about who can and who cannot swim at a meet,” Beam said.
Silver Creek co-coach Debbie Stewart would like to see the numbers grow more. A few factors may help make that a reality.
The Raptors are the reigning Class 4A state champions. Even though Silver Creek is down from 42 participants to 27 this year, Stewart believes the title will help the area produce more boys swimmers.
Plus, the success U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps enjoyed at last summer’s Olympics is a driving force for the sport. Now, there is an icon in their generation to look up to in the pool.
“With Michael Phelps winning those eight gold medals, it’s getting recognized more,” Longmont freshman swimmer Connor Dwyer said. “That’s something you can strive for.” Added Bisping: “People at my school, they know what swimming is now because of Michael Phelps.”
Still, boys swimming is behind the girls’ programs. Last year, nearly 2,000 more girls competed in Colorado. That’s been the trend since 1992.
With girls swimming in the winter and boys competing in the spring, it’s easy to see why the numbers are lopsided. Beam, who also coaches the Niwot girls, has neared 70 participants the past two years on his teams. Stewart averages around 40 per season at Silver Creek.
“It’s a winter sport. There’s only girls basketball,” Stewart said. “It’s not competing with other sports.”
Boys swimming season intertwines with baseball, track and lacrosse.
Swimmers like Dwyer admit the sport is physically and mentally demanding, but his competitive edge keeps him coming back.
“It takes a lot of energy. Your body goes through a lot,” said Dwyer, who has been swimming for four years. “There are nights at practice where you don’t want to swim at all because your body is so worn down.”
More collegiate opportunities are on the horizon for boys. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is sponsoring men’s swimming soon, and for the first time since 1984. Adams State will begin action in 2010, and Mesa State will start this fall.
Metro State College of Denver recently dropped its men’s program. Colorado School of Mines will move from the North Central Conference to the RMAC.
Before this year, the state had only two institutions with Division I programs: Air Force Academy and the University of Denver. Colorado College (D-III) also has a men’s swimming team.
