At first, I was scared to join a team where I didn’t know anybody, except for the coach. I had already joined the season late, and I felt like I would be excluded from all conversations since I didn’t go to Erie High School; I wouldn’t know the teachers they talked about, the events that were happening, or who was going through a breakup that week.

After the first couple weeks of grueling practice and relentless swim meets, I came to find a group that I fit in with. None of us were particularly fast or good and we were all underclassmen, so we had trouble finding the people we wanted to be friends with.

The biggest thing that helped me become closer to the girls on the team was Swim Sisters. Like a sorority, each underclassman was paired with a junior or senior. At all swim meets, you would write a note of encouragement or get a small gift for your sister, such as their favorite snack, drink, or some fuzzy socks of their favorite color. Thankfully, I was paired with the only other girl who went to Mead for 23-24 season.

She had been swimming with EHS for two years and helped me acclimate to being from a different place. She told me that I would feel left out sometimes, that was to be expected, but everybody would ensure that I still found value in the team, even though I couldn’t always relate to them.

Everybody on the team pushed me to be a better teammate, athlete, and overall person. Even though I’ve been swimming competitively for years, I have never felt a connection with any of my teammates this deep.

This is validated by the Erie Swim and Dive Instagram (@erie_swimdive) where the bio states, “Welcome to EHS Swim and Dive…We welcome you here with soggy suits, chlorine-damaged hair, goggle marks, and a sisterhood to last you forever.”

I am currently a sophomore, and I have swam for Erie High School for the past two years and plan to spend every winter season back with them until I graduate.