Stingrays Swim Team

The Dunlevy Milbank Center’s Stingrays swim team is comprised of more than 50 boys and girls who are reversing a trend often seen in disadvantaged communities: they are learning how to swim.

The Stingrays, ages 6 to 18, practice four days a week and attend competitive swim meets within New York City and out-of-state throughout the year. Coaches track team members’ athletic and academic progress, timing them monthly to make sure they are prepared to compete, and limiting team involvement to those youth able to maintain a "B" average in school. Any swimmer falling behind on grades is referred to Milbank tutoring or limited on practice time until s/he can catch up on the academic side.

Since 2005, the team has doubled in size, gained in proficiency and developed strong support from parents and the community. The Center has extended its pool hours to six days per week in order to accommodate more children, and "the deep end" is seeing more and more swimmers comfortable in its waters.

All team swimmers are entered in the U.S.S. (governing body for all swim competitions) in order to give them a better chance at enhancing their times and speed, as well as a chance to become known nationwide.

Eleven out of 40 swimmers made it to the Silvers Championship for 2007, and one went on to the Junior Olympics taking place on March 17, 2007. At a recent Regional competition in Washington D.C., most of the Stingray swimmers placed within the top twenty in their event.

The Stingrays host their first Invitational swim competition on March 10, 2007. With luck, more swimmers will place, so that they all can participate in the Junior Olympics next August.