IUP Masters Swim Club looking for new members

The IUP Masters Swim Club is looking forward to growing its membership and participation by offering students a challenge and fun all at the same time.

"We just got started this year, and we just started holding informal practices for student to come in and to show interest," IUP Masters Swim Club president Christopher Bergman said in an interview March 3.

There are no real requirements to be a part of the IUP Masters Swim Club. Some sort of experience would be a good start. Even a back-yard pool can be considered as swimming experience.

 "It really comes down to how interested you are in swimming," Bergman said.

Involvement in the club does not only mean swimming with the team. Students can get involved by using experience and knowledge to help out other students.

"Students need to know that involvement in this isn't something where you're going to have a coach breathing down your neck," Bergman said. "If you come, you will have the opportunity to share your emphasis and experiences in order to better yourself or the members of the organization as well.

"Even if you have all the experience in the world and you'd like to dedicate your time to help someone else with their strokes, we want you there, too," Bergman said.

Practices are held throughout the week and on the weekends, but nothing is set in stone yet, as the group is new and members are still joining.

There may not be any meets locked in as of yet for the IUP Masters Swim Club, but it is of growing interest to travel to different schools around the area to compete.

"We're anticipating traveling to different schools," Bergman said. "Penn Sate, WVU and some various other schools have club teams. Club teams are always up and coming. Typically most schools have club teams. We're hoping to provide athletes with some form of challenge with the ability to have fun.

"Swimming is very much a team sport as it is an individual sport. It requires a lot of dedication," Bergman said.

Anyone interested in being a part of the IUP Masters Swim Club can attend the general interest meeting at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at the pool balcony that rests above the competition pool in the Memorial Field House.