Home » Uncategorized » CAST offers opportunity to join local swim team

CAST offers opportunity to join local swim team

The Clintonville Area Swim Team (CAST) is inviting student athletes to hit the pool and use their skills in competitive swimming.

CAST is a part of Wisconsin Swimming, which governs competitive swimming in Wisconsin, and USA Swimming, which is recognized by the United States Aquatic Sports and the Olympic Committee. Head coach of CAST is Lee Wetzel. Lois Graper is the assistant coach.

CAST is run by a board of volunteer parents who support their swimmers and the club in many ways, such as organizing fundraisers, attending business meetings to learn more about managing a swim club, organizing the annual swim meet CAST hosts in February and the Cloverleaf Lakes Triathlon on Labor Day Weekend, writing articles about meets, and organizing an awards banquet at the end of the fall session. Other parents help out the team by assisting with fund raising and volunteering at the home meet and the triathlon.

Each year CAST runs two swim sessions. The main session runs from October to mid February. A shorter summer session runs from May to late July. CAST has team members from both Clintonville and Marion schools.

As a member of CAST, swimmers get an opportunity to learn the four competitive swim strokes: the freestyle, the breaststroke, the butterfly, and the backstroke. In swimmer lingo, they are called the free, the breast, the fly and the back. CAST holds practice five days a week. Most younger swimmers go to two or three practices each week, while the older swimmers are encouraged to attend four or five practices a week. Local swim clubs host swim meets on the weekends throughout each swim session. CAST usually goes to approximately 12 meets during the fall session, including the Groundhog Meet in February that the team hosts, and seven meets during the summer session. Swimmers who qualify also compete at the state level at the end of each session. Team members sign up to go to some or all of these meets. At a meet, a swimmer will compete in several individual events. Some swimmers also compete in relays with three other swimmers. A swimmer may compete in any of the individual strokes or a combination of all for strokes, which is called an individual medley (IM) or medley relay, if done by a team of swimmers.

Different swimmers join CAST for different reasons. Some swimmers join just for the fun of learning the swim strokes and meeting and being friends with other swimmers. Others join because they like the exercise that swimming provides. Still others enjoy the competition. Most members of CAST try hard to improve their individual times at each meet and some have a goal of qualifying for state. Many of the CAST female members go on to be a part of Clintonville High School’s swim team.

CAST always welcomes new swimmers. If you know a young swimmer age 17 or under who may be interested in being a part of a swim team, they will have an opportunity to try it out at no cost. CAST is hosting a free Try It Week from Sept. 27-30. Interested swimmers should be on deck ready to swim at the Clintonville High School Rec Center Pool at 5:30 p.m. Goggles are highly recommended. Swimmers should be at least a level three swimmer or be comfortable swimming across the deep end of the pool. If you have any questions please contact Lee Wetzel (715-823-5800) or Lois Graper (715-752-3884).

Scroll to Top