After their only diver left the team this year, the boys swim and dive team has been navigating the challenges of having no diving points, which are given to divers based on how well they can perform a skill. The small team numbers also have an impact on the team’s score, as they do not have as many opportunities to score points. With only 16 swimmers, the team has been at a disadvantage because, without any divers, they miss out on crucial points in a close scoring meet.
The team has been led by coach Corey Martin (he/him) for the last 15 years. They push through the challenges of a small roster, excelling at team bonding in particular.
“We get to do everything together,” Martin said. “The lanes are never too crowded, and everybody gets to know each other. There’s nobody that’s left out of anything.”
Freshman Zachary Zeng (he/him) started swimming competitively when he was 11 years old. He said that high school swim is a good sport to make friends.
“I like being on the bus and talking with all the other teammates, but I wish we had more away meets,” Zeng said.
Junior Robert Shen (he/him), who is also last year’s 100-yard backstroke state champion, has been swimming competitively ever since he was 9 years old. Shen also had similar experiences with his teammates on the bus and at meets. He also said he joined high school swim because it’s a different experience from club swim with new people. Shen said that high school swim takes place in a more relaxed environment than the higher-pressure atmosphere of competitive swimming.
“The fun parts of high school swim, and in all sports, is the community,” Shen said.
The team often holds bonding events, and Zeng said his favorite one is their bleach party. During the party, all the boys gather at one swimmer’s house and bleach their hair together. He also mentioned how the tradition builds confidence.
“When you bleach your hair, you look more intimidating to the other team,” Zeng said.
Martin said that this tradition started in the 90’s, and current swimmers uphold the tradition for fun.
“Some of the guys bleach strips of their hair, and they just get together,” Martin said. “Not everybody has to do it, but it’s a fun activity.”
The team also enjoys bonding activities with the Bothell High School swim team, including their annual Thanksgiving meal celebration after practice. Bothell and Inglemoor share the Juanita pool during early morning practices, making them friendly competitors at meets.
“It’s fun to compete against them,” Martin said. “We typically beat Bothell at swimming, but this year, they just edged us out.”
During the high school season, Shen said that balancing school work, sleep, time with friends and both club and high school swim practices can be challenging. He often tries to complete all of his assignments during the school day, which gives him the time to go to practice and frees up his afternoon more.
Zeng said that having high school practices in the morning frees up more time for schoolwork in the afternoon, so he can complete his homework after school without any issues.
Outside of coaching the high school swim team, Martin also teaches history at Northshore Middle School. He said that being productive so early in the morning helps him and his swimmers feel accomplished for the rest of the day, and he tries to carry that energy into his classroom.
“I wouldn’t say it’s become a hindrance,” Martin said. “If anything, it gets them up and gets them going instead of just sitting at home and playing video games,”
Although the early morning practices are a big commitment, Martin still encourages anyone to join the swim team if they’re interested, especially if they are looking for a long-term sport. He said that swimming teaches great time management skills, resilience and discipline while still fostering community-building activities.
“We have fun cheers that we do before each of our swim meets. We cheer each other on in the water,” Martin said. “We’re encouraging to each other.”
Shen also encourages anyone to join the team. He said it is a great opportunity to meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and not worry about the little things.
“Just throw yourself into it. Just embrace the sport as best you can and enjoy it for what it is,” Shen said. “Don’t worry about your times or whatever because the fun parts of high school swim and all sports is just the community.”
