Diving into the season, the boys swimming team looks to improve from last year. The goal for this year's team is to form a strong team bond, make a state appearance and build a hard-working team that can expand, both mentally and in the pool.
Junior Xavier Mattox knows that in order to be a good team some things must be a common goal like teamwork.
“We are going to work together and stay on top of our grades, and work together,” Mattox said.
While the team realizes there is a lot of work and practice to be done to achieve this goal continually, every day the team is out practicing. The dedication is there for the team during practice, but now they are turning their thoughts to how they will compete.
Senior Uriel Gallegos acknowledged that more improvement is needed but that the group is working to come together as a team and work for the same common goal.
“Seeing everyone improve as a team during hard practices, we encourage each other to keep going,” Gallegos said.
Setting goals is an important step in the right direction for any athlete. Senior Landon Bryk has a whole list of goals and is working day to day striving to meet them. He still has ways to relax and center himself for a better performance, though.
“I strive for a good mental attitude in multiple ways,” he said. “I like to listen to music and relax, play video games, go to the gym, do extra practice and the list can go on. But my most important thing to having a good mental attitude is to talk with the team and be friends with all of them. That is what is going to lead me to a good mental attitude.”
The personal goal set can lead to a very successful path toward greatness and perfection for many athletes. With being a senior and it being Bryk’s last high school swimming season, it is his last chance to complete and conquer his adversity, as well as reach his goals.
“Personally, my biggest goal coming into the season would be to drop a ton of time from last year in every event,” Byrk said. “I want to compete better with the fastest people, and the only way to do that is to simply try as hard as I can, which would be in practice and at swim meets. Another big goal I have is to have better team morale. I want all of the boys and girls to get along. The only way to do better in our goals is to have good morale.”