Irvine Swim League Achievement Award Winner 2014
Phillip Wright, South Irvine Dolphins
Future Plans: Mt. San Antonio College, majoring in kinesiology
2014 marks my eleventh year of swimming in the Irvine Swim League. When I was seven years old and barely able to cross a 25 yard pool on my own, my parents signed me up to swim in the Irvine Swim League. Eleven years later, I have graduated from High School and I am still swimming, volunteering and more recently also coaching for my ISL team. The most valuable experiences gained during my eleven years of participation in the ISL include competitiveness, fairness, friendship and confidence. Without a doubt, these experiences have vastly influenced my personal and educational growth and have helped shape me into the person I am now.
Over the years, the ISL has given me so much that it is hard to know where to begin. When I was seven years old, I thought of myself as a big hero because I was able to cross the pool all on my own. My parents also thought that I was an amazing swimmer and encouraged me to attend the ISL championship meet that year. I did not know anything about ISLQ times, and I certainly did not have any of such qualifying times. All I knew was that I was going to a Championship swim meet and that it was going to be awesome. I swam only one race my first year at ISL Championships, the 7-8 year-old boy’s 25 yard freestyle, and I ended up in 53rd place with a turquoise participation ribbon. What a disappointment! After that meet I felt like I had let everyone down, including myself. This is when I decided that I was not going to let this happen again. The big lesson I learned that year was that I needed to be more competitive and work harder to achieve better results.
For my second year swimming in the ISL, my goal was to win the 25 yard freestyle race at Championships. I realized that some practice in advance of the ISL season would help me achieve my goal. So I asked my parents to sign me up for year round swimming. During the practices I remember how I was motivated by my goal of winning the 25 yard freestyle race. And it worked! My second year swimming at the ISL Championships, I tied for first place in the 7-8 year old boy’s 25 yard freestyle. Getting the blue first place medal was priceless to me. The big lesson learned that year was that goal setting works and that if I want to achieve something bad enough, I can do it!
The following years I continued with year – round swim training. Although my club coaches tried their best to convince me otherwise, my goal continued to be to swim my best performances at ISL Championships. Throughout the 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 age groups I set numerous team records for my ISL team and even set several ISL league records at the Championship meets. The friendships I formed with my ISL team-mates throughout the years became a key motivator for me. The cheering of my teammates gave me confidence and motivation to win. From these experiences I learned the value of friendship and team spirit.
When I entered High School I became eligible to be a coach for my ISL team – first as a volunteer coach and later as a paid coach. This experience has been one of the most rewarding so far. There is nothing like seeing the 7-8 year olds earning huge time improvements or a kid getting their first ISLQ time. The kids make me feel appreciated because I help them swim faster and I feel successful because of their successes. In addition, it was a valuable learning experience for me to go through the coach certification process, including the Red Cross CPR certification and the safety training for swim coaches.
As I am entering College in the fall, I am planning on swimming for my College and to major in kinesiology. The ISL has provided me with a foundation for growth and development. And the sport of swimming has become a huge part of my life because of the ISL. In fact, I like swimming and I like coaching because of the ISL.
The ISL is a great organization that has helped me tremendously with my personal and professional growth. I developed from barely-swimmer to a good swimmer to champion to record breaker and eventually to swimmer/coach. Participation in the ISL has taught me to be competitive and to set goals for myself. In addition, the ISL has given me confidence, lasting friendships and my first paid job. As a result, I cannot help but appreciate the ISL. Thank you to the ISL for eleven great seasons and as many years of valuable experiences and opportunities for personal growth.