Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Swim Club and the Mid-Valley Swim Club have joined forces after the Mid-Valley club, formerly based in Lebanon, was unable to renew its contract to use the Lebanon High School pool.
The clubs merged earlier this fall and coaches say the combined teams have worked out well for all sides.
Sweet Home Coach Shawnna Richards and Mid-Valley Coach Junia Calhoon are sharing the coaching duties until December, then a decision will be made as to who will continue as the head coach, Calhoon said.
The idea of combining the teams is not new, she said.
“We’ve been working on combining the teams for a couple of years now, but it wasn’t good timing,” she said. “When the aquatics director in Lebanon refused to renew our contract, Sweet Home graciously merged with us.”
The team will keep the name Sweet Home Swim Club until June, when it may adopt a new name, the coaches said. The combined team now has about 45 swimmers, ranging from first-graders to high school seniors.
Calhoon said Sweet Home High School Coach Doug Peargin has cooperated with the swim club, which has eight swimmers who expect to compete for the Huskies.
She said her swimmers swim for Peargin in the mornings and then work out with the swim club in the afternoons.
“They don’t need the stroke work that other kids need,” she said. “They just need yardage.”
Richards said that the merger with Mid-Valley, which tended to have more advanced swimmers, has helped the young swimmers who made up the bulk of the Sweet Home club. The younger kids actually have someone they can look up to and A. not be afraid of, and B. try become more like them,” she said.
Calhoon agreed.
“We’re a more well-rounded program now,” she said.
For more information on the club, contact Calhoon at (541) 401-4445 or Richards at (541) 367-5178 or (541) 619-5834.