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Welcome!!
Colorado
Western Slope Championship Swim Team for people of
all ages and
abilities in the Grand Junction area!!
Last modified
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 7:29
PM
History of the Grand Junction Dolphin Swim Club
The Grand Junction Dolphin Swim Club
has been an important part of the Grand Valley for nearly fifty
years! No one recalls precisely when the club was first formed, but
early participants believe the swim club formed in 1951 when Jack
and Jill Crawford began holding informal competitions at the old
Moyer Pool in Grand Junction’s Lincoln Park.
By 1954, the Grand Junction Exchange
Club, an early service club, was sponsoring the annual Grand
Junction swim contest with swimmers from Ouray, Raven, Glenwood
Springs, Delta, and Rangely. Even though the pool was only one foot
deep in the shallow end and had no swim lanes and ropes, records
from that time show surprisingly fast swims! During this time, the
Club collected S&H Green Stamps to buy ribbons and
trophies.
It is believed that the Club got its
name in 1956 or 1957. A reference in the July 22, 1956 Sentinel,
Grand Junction’s daily newspaper, reports a meet in Ouray
with the "Grand Junction Swim Team." In July 1958, the newspaper
refers to the "Grand Junction Dolphins" participating in a meet in
Montrose. The Dolphin logo (two Dolphins forming the abbreviation
"GJ"), still in use today, was designed by Lloyd Porter in
1960.
Throughout the 1960s, the cost of
swimming was $1.00, but each participant was required to purchase a
pool season pass. Coaches were not paid a salary, but were tipped
by the parents if they thought the coaching merited a tip. Coaching
was a man’s job. One year in the early 60’s, the team
found itself without a coach, so two women, Libby Kirkendall and
Marie Porter, took the team to Denver for a competition. One of the
Denver coaches came up to Libby to inquire as to her purpose. When
Libby explained that SHE was the coach, he patted her on the head
and said, "You sure are cute!"
"We’ve come a long way, Baby!"
The Dolphin Swim Club now enjoys the coaching of professionally
trained, nationally certified coaches. The team has seen community
leaders and legislators rise from its waters.
Each year, the swimmers remember one of
its earliest swimmers, Gracie Welch, who started swimming with the
Dolphins in 1954 when she was eight years old, and was a "spark
plug" of the team. According to the Sentinel, Gracie swam at the
Montrose meet in July 1959 and "turned in a standout performance."
She attended Grand Junction High School graduating in 1964. Grace
died from a brain tumor in 1985. Her mother, Maxine, one of the
first parents responsible for the formation of the Dolphins,
created the "Grace Welch Award." It is given yearly to an
outstanding member of the Club who displays a sense of fair play,
community, and who brings to the Club spirit, hard work, and
humor.
It is in remembering our past that we
continue to grow.
The Mission of the Dolphin Swim Club is to:
1.
Promote amateur, competitive swimming;
2.
Encourage development of each individual’s fullest swimming
potential;
3.
Promote good fellowship and sportsmanship;
4.
Promote a healthy lifestyle and highly regarded life values;
and
5.
Promote family involvement as we grow to being the best swim team
in our state.
Team Philosophy
The team philosophy is encompassed in the words courage, and
perseverance.
Courage
is the willingness to accept risk(s) and endure failings. Courage
does not exist unless there is a situation that presents the
opportunity for success. We encourage our athletes to embrace these
opportunities and not fear the outcome.
Perseverance
is the backbone of success in any endeavor in life. One cannot
succeed at the highest levels without enduring some setbacks. These
difficult times can create a lack of faith, low self-esteem, and an
obvious drop in enthusiasm. Perseverance is the quality that
transcends these difficult times. It allows the individual to find
the true strength of their character.
Dolphin Swim Club believes that COURAGE and PERSEVERANCE developed
by swimming will prepare the individual for the challenges they
will face in life.
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