Growing Camelback swim team teaches values, life skills, community effort

Seven years ago, when Crystal Yost and Jonathan Gomez started coaching Phoenix Camelback High School's swim team, there were nine girls, all recruited out of science teacher Chris Sulit's classroom.

Fast forward to today, and, with Sulit now helping Yost coach with Gomez now coaching at Carl Hayden, Camelback started this season with 29 swimmers, 17 of those girls.

It's gotten so big that it only uses the Brophy Prep aquatics complex that the Phoenix Union High School District partnered with to provide a practice facility twice a week, and the pool at Pierce Park two other days.

Kids in Yost's program have learned to raise money to fund the $2,000 or so rental costs of the City of Phoenix park pool to use during a season through tax credits with about half of the swimmers only learning how to swim the butterfly, breaststroke or backstroke through tax credits and help from the Phoenix Swim Club.

Some are just learning how to swim.

"I feel like everyone should know or be able to learn how to swim, because it's a life skill," said co-captain Valeria Guinto, the only year-round club swimmer on the team. "There has been many deaths caused by drowning, which is really heartbreaking."

Yost said there are lifeguards at Pierce Pool. But she's always keeping her eyes on the kids, along with Sulit.

Almost all of them are brand new to competitive swimming, never having swum the breast, butterfly and back before this year. When COVID hit and the city pools shut down, and a lifeguard shortage, Yost said it was difficult to get swim lessons.

"Any student at Camelback, we try to pay for that, learning how to swim," Yost said. "We have a partnership with the Phoenix Swim Club. They offer scholarships to people interested in learning how to swim competitively. They've been a great resource. I appreciate everything they've done to give our kids experience at the next level."

She said that for $200 swim lessons, half of that is paid through the tax credits, where parents or stakeholders, single filers donate $200 and couples donate $400 which are tax write-offs.

There is no cost to use Brophy's complex because of its partnership with the PXU. But because Camelback's program has gotten so big, the Spartans only use Brophy twice a week to give more space for other PXU programs that are smaller.

"It's a luxury," Yost said. "The kids treat it as a luxury. Brophy is getting crowded."

Senior Ruth Mayagoitia, a team captain, followed the swim path of her sister Rosie, who was on Yost's first Camelback swim team seven years ago. She swims in the 100-yard breaststroke and in two relays.

"When we go up against other schools that have club swimmers, we know we have to work harder," Mayagoitia said. "Our team is more about achieving our personal bests than winning medals. Getting first place is great, too, but we like having new experiences."

Mayagoitia said raising money to swim at Pierce Pool teaches about self-reliance, "to do things on our own if want something, and not relying on other people."

"Many of us did not grow up swimming competitively, so it's a big deal for us to be able to be comparable to those who have been swimming their entire lives," she added. "I was grateful to my sister for introducing me to the swim team."

Elisha Barron, captain of Camelback's boys' team, who competes in the 50 and 100 freestyles and the 200 medley relay, is like an assistant coach on the team, helping his coaches with the other swimmers who learning strokes, just trying to get from one end of the pool and back.

In the end, it's an outlet, a chance to be part of a team, and carrying something valuable into life beyond high school.

"This program means a lot to me, because it is also a way I can improve both my physical and mental health overall," he said. "Helping others and competing are my motivations for swimming."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Camelback swim program teaches values outside the pool