The USA Swimming Southern Zone Diversity and Inclusion Camp, June 18-20, 2015 at The University of Texas at Arlington. This camp is co-hosted by UTA’s Department of Kinesiology, North Texas Swimming, and Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming.
Every other year, USA Swimming invites athletes and Diversity and Inclusion chairpersons from underrepresented populations from the Southern Zone states (WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, LA, MS, AL, TN and TX) to participate in a three-day camp program which includes pool training, motivational and education sessions and team-building activities. Selection is based on application from USA Swimming athletes from their home state. The purpose of the camp is to instill a vision of success and inspire athletes from ethnically under-represented populations to become leaders in the sport of swimming.
Goals: To empower athletes from ethnically under-represented populations and their coaches to:
Demonstrate the viability of multicultural success in swimming.
Achieve performance excellence at every level of the sport.
Expound the benefits and value of participating in the sport of swimming.
Assist in recruiting more swimmers and coaches from diverse ethnicities to the sport of swimming.
Be positive leaders and role models that others from multicultural backgrounds can emulate.
The camp staff was selected from a pool of accomplished multicultural candidates from across the USA and include Head Coach – Shannon Gillespy (Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming and USA Swimming National Team staff member), Asst Coach Rodney Sellars (Queen City Dolphins, Charlotte, NC), and Asst Coach Betsie Cook (Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming). Suzanne Dangelmaier – USA Swimming Southern Zone Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator is the camp director. Staff members from USA Swimming and Byron Davis, US National Team member, will make presentations and provide support to the camp.
Camp athletes will also participate in the 7th Annual Make-a-Splash Day, co-hosted by the Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming Foundation and the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department on Saturday, June 20th at the Allen Bolden pool in Arlington. Athletes will teach water safety classes and swim lessons to the community. Make-a-Splash is the USA Swimming Foundation’s national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. Make-a-Splash teaches children how to swim through its local partners like the Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming Foundation.
For more information regarding USAS Swimming Diversity and Inclusion Camps or Make-a-Splash go to usaswimming.org. For more information regarding Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming (MARS) and the Mid-Cities Arlington Swimming Foundation go to marswim.org
Swimming news courtesy of USAS Swimming Diversity and Inclusion Camps.