An Interview with the Founder of Madison’s First Boy’s Swim Team

This week, the Dodger (MDO)  got a chance to catch up with Matthew Carey (MC), a junior at Madison and the initiator of the high school’s first boy’s swim team. Here’s what he had to say about the new group:

MDO: How did the idea of creating a boy’s swim team come up and how did you go through with the initiative to get it going?

MC: My idea of starting a swim team really started freshman year as all my friends from my club swim team started talking about how they had their HS practices and meets and stuff. For the next two years that idea kind of just sat in my head and I wanted to do something, I just never did. Then this year I told myself, “I have two years left and I really don’t want to miss out on this experience.” In terms of actually getting it started, I talked with Ms. Willis, the Athletic Director’s Assistant and, Sean Dowling, the Athletic Director about what I needed to do to get a team together. All they really told me was to get people that wanted to do it and would do it if presented with the opportunity.

MDO: We understand that it’s a small group with a lot of strengths. Can you run through who is on the team and what those strengths are?

MC: So, the swimmers on team include: Will Burrer (Sr.), Matt Carey (Jr.), Will Henderson (Jr.), Eric Burrer (Soph.), Max Haupt (Fr.), Tyler McKinnon (Fr.), and Esteban Spadea (Fr.).

For the most part everyone is flexible with the events that we have to fill. Everyone is very willing to do what is needed and I think that because of it we are able to do a lot better in meets rather than if we were limited with the events that everyone could swim.

MDO: How is the season going so far?

MC: The season is going very well right now. We have had a few meets already and even though we have not won a meet yet, we as a team have progressively swam better as time went on. This past weekend we took the entire team to the Morris County Championship meet where we swam 3 relays, and I’m not sure on the exact number but maybe 5 or 6 individual events. I personally did the 400 freestyle and 100 backstroke, placing 6th in both the events.

MDO: What is the goal?

MC: The biggest goal that we had this year was just establishing the team and trying to develop it so it stays. Other goals that we had was for everyone is just do their best and swim as fast as they could! I think a big goal for next year will be to increase the size of the swim team as much as we possibly can. We have 7 right now, but next year I want that number to be at at least 10-12. It’s a developing team and I know that as time passes, it will become more well known and more popular.

MDO: Can people come out to events?

MC: People can come to the meets that we have; they are open to the public. I believe we have one or 2 more meets scheduled before the end of the season on the 20th. Our next meet is at Drew on February 10th.

Come out and support the newest Dodger team! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.