Close to 40 athletes ranging in age from five to 17, fill up the natatorium at the . They begin stretching their limbs and helping each other snap on their bright yellow latex swim caps.
The dimly lit pool sits still.
Then, the kids from the Bedford-Stuyvesant Piranhas swim team begin to stream in, and suddenly, the pool seems brighter. The chlorine in the air is cut by the energy of the swimmers, the water begins to lap up, pushing against the cement walls of the gutters with excitement.
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Under the direction of Nigerian immigrant and swimmer for the Nigerian national swim team, Sunday Engi, the team is flourishing -- they’ve nearly quadrupled in size -- compared to their much smaller beginning in 1994.
At that time, they were just handful of kids that seemed to have a knack for swimming. Mr. Engi turned no child away and volunteered his time & money to cultivate the talents of the kids. Now, almost two decades later, the kids are placing in the top-three in championship meets where often, there are more than a dozen teams competing.
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Marquise Morrison, 8, is ranked 2nd overall in NY State for the eight and under division. He is known to walk away from every meet with a medal. But these kids aren’t consumed by the accolades.
“It’s not about winning, it’s about being with our team,” Morrison said.
The swimmers are dynamic, some are dancers and basketball players and some work. All of them are academic-oriented; in order to compete they must hold a B average or higher, something Thomas Simms, president of the Parents Association, says is never an issue.
“The team has a commitment to each other, but on a larger scale, also the community,” said Simms. They volunteer as a team, serving dinner on thanksgiving, helping at safety expos and handing out water at the 10k restoration marathon. “We want to help mold civic minded citizens, ones that are community minded and community loving that will give back to our neighborhood.”
Head coaches Osei Doyle and Erwin Samuels, along with assistant coach Carolina and the encouragement of a crew of assorted supporters have made practice an exciting place to be. They look forward to a family of friends they’ve created for themselves.
“This is our family, even the new kids feel welcome,"said Team Captain, Courtney Pinckney, 17. "We always try to help each other and teach each other."
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has honored the swimmers on more than one occasion, and made appearances at the swim-a-thon to give them pep talks. But even with all of the moral and community support, still, the team worries about its budget.
“We’ll always worry about our funding, making sure our coaches are able to get paid and that we can go to meets,” says Simms. The 5th annual Swim-a-thon will take place in February and the proceeds go to the Strong Kids Campaign, which helps to benefit the team.
“It’s great to see these kids involved in something that promotes health and wellness,” said Anderson Seales, Aquatics director.
“ I want our team to be even bigger and I’d like to see us become a USS team when we’re ready,” said Malaia Simms, 13.
The team is special for so many reasons. But foremost, the camaraderie between the kids and the coaches and the parents is unparalleled. These kids are kind and respectful and truly love what they’re doing.
“It’s simple,” Seales says. “The Piranhas rock!”
