With the West Parry Sound Recreation and Cultural Centre (WPSRCC) grand opening in 2025, Parry Sound Nation’s directors would like to celebrate the creation of a swim culture for our youth and act as a beacon for anyone who would be interested in supporting the club with offers to coach or help with the administration of the team.
Richard Culverwell, Co-Chair WPS Recreation and Cultural Centre Fund Raising stated best the vision of the team:
“The team lays the foundation of a swim culture for our community. The young people who become involved with the swim team will be the leaders and role models for the next generation. The team will be a well organized and credible grass roots organization that will support a wonderful opportunity for all our youth, including the First Nations young people. These youth and their parents will form the foundation of a leadership core that will celebrate excellence and healthy fitness pursuits for our community.”
Benefits of a Swim Club for the Financial Sustainability of our pool and our Business Community.
Pool income depends on rentals. The more people and programs using the pool, the more rental revenue it generates. For example many area pools have told us they derive significant income from swim club pool rentals and it can be as much as 30% rental income for them.
In addition to competitions at a pool, local merchants like hotels, restaurants etc. benefit from the indirect revenue that swim meets generate via families of swimmers and other out of town spectators and teams. The team provides jobs for critical pool staff like lifeguards and coaches, and members will ensure a constant stream of the next generation of staff and coaches.
Community Help for the Kids
We will be looking for like minded people in the community to join and support the team’s growth over the next 2 years. In addition to age group and masters swimmers in the membership, we need coaches, volunteers and administration positions filled. The positions will be crucial to the success of the team, allowing swimmers to feel fostered and empowered.
Our mission is to provide each swimmer with a quality program that allows them to achieve greatness, both inside and outside the pool, in a safe and supportive environment. Let’s not forget also to bring that next step in swimming directly to First Nations and local Municipalities to teach kids how to safely and strongly swim in (and across) rivers, lakes and pools. We are a community built on the water so let’s get our kids in the pool and prepare them for a life in the water no matter what season it is. We have many strong water babies out there – it’s a sport they deserve every season of the year close to home.
Our goal as directors overseeing the team core & administrative areas is to provide amazing coaches to help swimmers achieve success in the competitive swimming world. We will also capitalize on the new state of the art pool being built to host regional swim meets in which we will need Officials and Timers. Even vendors are going to be needed for meets as our team and spectators will be encouraged to buy local.
Community Help for the Kids
Team is Creating Buzz in the Swimming World
The new team is creating so much “buzz” across the Ontario swimming community and already coaches from all over Ontario are noticing they will have new competition out of Parry Sound. We are about to put Parry Sound on the map for competitive swimming (never done before, since we never had a competition grade pool).
"I love it!! I have worked with aquatics Canada on making sure the pools are usable by aquatic sports. Such a cool opportunity to part of the beginning of it all!"
"That is such exciting news about the pool, way to go!"
Family Sport and Success of our Kids
Can parents volunteer? Yes! We want your support too if you are thinking about putting your kids in competitive swimming. Many parents volunteer coach, mentor and carpool for practices and chaperone at meets. Our parents are the glue to making this program a success.
If you are a parent thinking of putting your kids into competitive swimming, it’s an advanced sport that allows kids to excel in life. It’s a natural next step also after Red Cross swimming lessons, allowing kids to further build their self esteem as they progress into something beyond lessons.
Competitive swimming is a great way for kids to expend all that extra energy and for them to get a great cardio workout. It uses almost every muscle in the body, and it allows minds to stay active and sharp. We have seen more kids go into swim programs that have had attention-deficit (and/or) hyperactivity; gain focus, confidence and strength through competitive swimming programs. Team building is core to every swim team, and kids will be allotted a ton of mentoring time which will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Team camaraderie is of great importance in swimming also, and it shows on the pool deck. Swimmers cheer and support team mates to success through workouts and swim meets. It’s not uncommon for swimmers to forge close relationships with swim peers. Swim peers usually become lifers – it’s a sport of brotherhood and sisterhood. It’s that family mentality that fosters growth and ultimately success of the most successful swim teams. Best of all it keeps kids engaged, possibly off the streets and focused on something they love which is a life long sport.
Children learn how to set goals in swimming, and it’s important for children to embrace wins big or small, or even losses. Malcolm Kirk – Secretary of the swim team stated:
“Let’s not forget about swimmers setting goals however small and working to achieve them. For example a swimmer that states – I just swam my personal best time and took off 1/100 of a second. Competitive swimming builds setting, working and achieving goals however small. Being proud of oneself is so important.”
7 Fun Facts about competitive swimming:
- The sport burns more calories than biking or running
- Most competitive swimmers (in their prime) swim 6-12 miles a day
- Swimming can increase attention span
- Swimmers can get scholarships to University
- Swimming was first introduced at the Olympics in 1896
- Australian Ian Thorpe became the youngest world champion swimmer at 15 years of age in 1998
- The world’s youngest internationally competitive swimmer is only 10, and the world’s oldest 100
Can parents volunteer? Yes! We want your support too if you are thinking about putting your kids in competitive swimming. Many parents volunteer coach, mentor and carpool for practiceWe have passed the first hurdle with the acceptance of a 6 lane pool design. Now the heavy lifting starts. We have laid the foundation of our region swim club with 3 directors and a club name: Parry Sound Nation. The name is intended to capture and be inclusive of the diversity of the 7 municipalities and 2 First Nations that co-operated to win grants for the complex.
Meet Board of Directors
Dana Labrie, MBA
President
Olympic Trials Swimmer, University Swimming Hall of Fame & Competitive Swim Coach.
Dana currently owns a digital marketing consultancy firm in Whitestone, Ontario.
Malcolm Kirk
Secretary
Scuba Instructor, Qualified Official Swim Canada.
Malcolm is very familiar with being on the pool, having had children in the sport for many years.
Kim McCormick, B.Com
Secretary Treasurer
Nationally Ranked Competitive Swimmer | Masters Swimmer | Timer | Competitive Swim Coach.
Kim currently owns a Carling-based Cottage services business with her husband Zach and lives in Parry Sound.
Ian Gray, Au.D
Director
International Tri-Athlete & Runner, Competitive Swim Coach, High school Swimming, Timer and Strokes & Turns Judge.
Ian is the owner of Sound Ideas Audiology in Parry Sound which enhances the quality of lives through better hearing.
Meet our Advisory Group & Founders
- Gary McNabb: Past President of the Muskoka Aquatic Club
- Christine Wareling: Aquatics and Fitness Supervisor, Orillia Aquatic Centre
- David Bialkowski: Owner of Trysport Inc - sales and service bike and triathlon shop
- Richard Culverwell, M.S., MBS: Co-Chair WPS Recreation and Cultural Centre Fund Raising Committee, Owner of Georgian Bay Property Management Inc