By Bruce Campbell
As a young girl growing up in Caney, Kan., Kathi Black’s one desire was to be on a swimming team.
“My family didn’t have the means to get us to a swim team,’’ said Black, who settled for going to Caney’s municipal pool on a daily basis. She eventually became a lifeguard and swim instructor.
Years later, Black has seen her dream come true as the coach of the Denny Price Family YMCA Water Rockets swim team. That’s part of her job as the YMCA’s aquatics director.
“I keep telling my husband, ‘How much longer can I be here?, but it’s fun,’’ Black said. “There’s not any other job that I can imagine that’s been this fun.’’
Black started out at the YMCA as a volunteer aquacise instructor. She started working on membership drives. She went from swim instructor to lifeguard to assistant aquatics director to aquatics director.
The swim team started 10 years ago when some parents came to her saying Enid needed a swim team other than the United States Swimming Aquatic Club of Enid.
Darla Keiser and Brittany Dye, who went on to swim collegiately and were then members of ACE, got her started.
“I knew nothing about swim teams,’’ Black said. “The girls taught me quite a bit of stuff. Other YMCA coaches helped me out. I’ve been here 15 years, and I still learn something every day.’’
Under Black, the Water Rockets have won two state summer and two state winter championships.
“It’s for fun first,’’ she said. “It’s nice coming home with first-place trophies. It’s fun seeing the kids win individual trophies and how proud they are. When they come to swim at the YMCA, you want them to set so many goals. When they achieve that goal, you want them to set another.’’
Her primary goal is for participation. Swimming, she said, offers a child an alternative to playing video games and watching television after school in the fight against obesity.
Her biggest satisfaction came when one of her swimmers said she could now fit into regular teen-age style clothes instead of having to buy extra large.
“That gave me goose bumps,’’ she said. “We need to get the kids some sort of exercise and have fun doing it. Swimming is a sport where you can learn what you want to learn. That’s why it’s grown so much.’’
Black’s team has gone from 10 to up as many as 60. Voluntary practices go from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
When Black talks to other coaches, it may be more about games to play during practices than stroke technique.
“If the kids aren’t going to have fun, they’re not going to do it,’’ she said. “You can work just as hard playing a game than they do swimming a workout.’’
Games include sharks and minnows, tag and Marco Polo. They may bunny hop on one foot. Fridays are singled out as the “fun day.’’ That’s the biggest day of participation, Black said.
Black tries to keep some new fun stuff secret until the workouts.
The YMCA philosophy emphasizes participation over times. A swimmer qualifies for the YMCA state meet by participating in three winter meets and two summer meets.
The fees are $30 per month. Swimmers must be YMCA members. Swimming with the team, she said, is cheaper than taking swim lessons (8 for $15)
Black actually also oversees the Aquatic Club of Enid team. Many swimmers swim for both.
“If these kids want to move on, we want to give them that option, too,’’ Black said “You’re not going to be doing games with USA swimming. It’s going to be harder. You’re going to have to have a time.’’
The team’s large numbers tax the four-year YMCA swim complex. Black regrets she can’t get in the water for one-on-one instruction as much as she used to in practice.
“But we’re never going to turn anyone away,’’ Black said.
Teaching is motivating, she said. The kid who screams “bloody murder’’ before going into the water, has to be shown how much fun it is.
In her time at the YMCA, she has seen the membership go from under 3,000 to 6,500. In her swim and aquacise classes, she works with swimmers from ages 5 to 90.
“You use every muscle in your body in swimming,’’ Black said. “It’s a good cardiovascular workout. You don’t have to compete against anybody else ... just yourself ...it’s a big family sport.’’
Black is at an age now where she meets people who tell her she taught them how to swim and now she’s teaching their children.
The swimming complex, she said, is one of the reasons for the YMCA’s growth.
“I told them if they built it, people would come,’’ Black said.
Black admits there are days when she and assistant Monique Johnson have to motivate each other. They can spell each other on coaching.
Black and her husband Mike have four children — sons Travis, Drew and Cody and daughter Cayla. To get away from the swim pool, her family goes to the lake.
“I love the water,’’ Black said. “I love to fish, boat and ski.’’
