by Jason Sirovina| sports writer

Jaguar’s swim and dive is off to a nice start to the 2013-2014 season, but the upcoming district meets from January 31 to February 2 present the biggest challenge of the season. The Jags will need to take the right steps in order to prepare for it.

“The most important thing heading into districts is focus. We need to continue our hard work and team spirit to give each swimmer the confidence they need to win,” senior Raquel Grays said.

However, the motive for competing  is as simple as it gets because of the love for the sport the team expresses. Swimming is one sport where there is no game plan, plays, or statistics. The swimmers simply rely on technique and had work.

“I enjoy swimming itself, I love the sport. It’s so fun to do something different than running on a track or playing on a field, its just unique. Swimming makes me want to try harder in everything I do because of the hard work and dedication I have to put into swimming to be successful. This dedication reflects in all of the other activities I participate in and it makes me who I am,” sophomore Rebekah Poe said.

The recent success the Jags have had can be credited to the dedication, time, and effort they put in to improve. Also the fact that they think of swimming as a team effort rather than individually.

“To keep up our success the team and I must continue to work hard at practice, stay positive, and be excited. Motivation is a big part of success and that is what we need from everyone to get where we need to be,” Grays said.

Swim and dive requires a great deal of commitment throughout a season and is thrilling for the athletes to watch their hard work pay off.

“I have gone to every practice I can and have worked my very best during all of them and because that is the best way to prepare for a competition and all its challenges,” Poe said.