Spectators welcomed, encouraged to attend Middlesex swim meets

by Jennifer Morotini – 

Swimming is in my blood. I was a summer swimmer turned year-round competitive swimmer for the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins. I swam with them throughout middle school and the beginning of high school then chose to pursue softball more competitively instead. I swam for Woodside High School, and despite a few scholarship offers, I decided to play softball in college instead. After college, I had a very successful swim coaching career with Peninsula Catholic High School before becoming a teacher in Newport News.

After moving to Gloucester and getting a teaching job in Middlesex, I knew I wanted to continue coaching as well. I love teaching, but coaching is my true passion, so I started coaching softball.

I joined the Deltaville Sharks as an assistant coach for the summer, and after seeing the swimming talent and interest, I was shocked that there wasn’t a swim team at the high school.

During my second year working for Middlesex County Public Schools (MCPS), I began talking to Athletic Director Matt Stamm about my interest in getting a swim team started. (Morotini teaches eighth grade Language Arts at St. Clare Walker Middle School in Locust Hill.)

First year

Before COVID-19, the interest gained some traction, but it wasn’t until this year that we were able to get it up and running. The entire experience has been so rewarding already because I know that I’m helping start and build something that’s going to be great for MCPS and our student-athletes.

This is the first swim team Middlesex High School (MHS) has had. In the past, they only had individual sswimmers competing as part of Lancaster High School (LHS). Aside from MHS and LHS, there aren’t other teams in the Middle Peninsula or Northern Neck, so we compete against Christchurch School, New Kent, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, and we will be participating in a few meets in Newport News against teams from the Peninsula District. We welcome and encourage spectators to come to our meets.

Combined team

I also coach Lancaster’s swimmers, and although we score separately in meets, we practice and compete as a single unit. If you didn’t already know it was two separate teams, you would never know by seeing them at a meet. The way they cheer each other on and support each other is so awesome to see. They’re all great kids, and they consider themselves teammates as much as any other team I’ve coached.

We do some dry-land training including cardio, endurance, and strength training, but this year the focus is just getting kids involved and in the water. We have a few swimmers that swim year-round, and most of them have summer swimming experience. There are a few that this is their first swim team and they have already greatly improved!

I know the impact sports can have on kids, and I love the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team. 

(Jennifer Morotini is the head coach of Middlesex High School’s swim team.)