By James DeWeese
Yes, the dedicated flock of 5- to 15-year-old swimmers are refining a physical skill that often carries them to victory in meets with other Catholic parishes and sometimes helps earn them high school and college scholarships. But Shawn Slevin, a Jackson Heights human resources consultant who volunteers more than 20 hours a week to coach the team, said it's about a lot more than that.”It's not just about them,” said Slevin, 48, who swam on the team herself decades ago. “It's about giving back to the community. It's about teaching. It's life lessons through the venue of swimming.”St. Sebastian's swim team draws a diverse group of youth with a broad range of skill levels from all across the borough. Parents said they sought out the program, which costs about $200 a year, for the discipline it instills, its exercise benefit and, of course, the fun their children have.Elmhurst father John Aboulleit's 11-year-old son Michael joined the team two years ago and swam 11 miles non-stop during one of the team's fund-raising marathons recently. “He learned to swim in here,” Aboulleit said. “It was amazing in these two years to go from nothing to 11 miles.” Michael swam 5 1/2 hours, stopping only once for a hot dog, his father said.”I just believe in myself,” said Michael, who devours videos of Olympic phenomenon Michael Phelps.All told, the team logged 553 miles – that's 39,816 laps – during the marathon.The St. Sebastian's swim teams, which operate under the umbrella of the Catholic Youth Organizations, first practiced at Bushwick High School in Brooklyn before moving in the late 1960s into the state-of-the-art facility at St. Sebastian's Parish Center, which was financed by neighborhood donations, Slevin said.The girls team, known as the Dolphinettes, has been in the water constantly since then, capturing a record 14 consecutive championships while competing in the Catholic Youth Organization's league in Queens and Brooklyn. The boy's team, known as the Dolphins, fizzled because of lack of interest about a dozen years ago, but Slevin and her assistant coaches relaunched the now successful program five years ago.The tradition has inspired generations of swimmers to return, including two assistant coaches who both swam on the team and got their children involved. For many swimmers, the experience often serves as a gateway to higher levels of competition, including coveted spots on the Flushing Flyers team in the United States Swimming league. “I'm looking for her to build character,” said Maspeth resident Miroslaw Myszkowski, whose daughter Olivia, 11, is on the team. “She needs to learn how to win and lose in life.”Sunnysider Tara Secilmis, 10, said she likes winning, but more importantly, she said the team's spirit has helped her make the transition from school at Queen of Angels to classes at St. Sebastian's.”The last meet I was banging on the deck and saying 'Go, Go, Go!'” said Tara, who after having shaved a combined total of 59 seconds off all her best times since last year is in the running for most improved swimmer. Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
