Amateur Update Article

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Rochester Swim Club Orcas Swimming Article

by John Larsen

he Rochester Amateur Sports Commission (RASC) takes pride in being a good partner to our local sports organizations. One of the ways we work together is to serve as a bridge between the hotel community and the organizations for local events. We also work to see if there are state, regional or national events that could come to Rochester for each sport. In addition, there are instances where national events the sports commission may be hosting require specific sports knowledge and expertise. The Rochester Swim Club Orcas is a good example of the many ways we can partner with a local organization.

Established in the mid-1940s, the Orcas have become one of the largest clubs in the state. They have over 350 swimmers in their competitive youth program and more than 40 adult Masters swimmers. Last year the Orcas won the Minnesota State Championship, the first time ever a club outside the Twin Cities metro area has done so.

The sports commission assists the Orcas in obtaining hotel proposals for their annual Presidents Day Swim Meet that is attended by 700+ swimmers from across the Midwest and will be held February 17-19 at the Recreation Center. The Orcas will also host the A/B Finals March 2-4 and the Rochester Invitational Swim Meet June 29-July 1. All of these events bring significant economic impact to Rochester area hotels and other businesses.

The Orcas have been an excellent partner to the RASC as we have gone through the process of bidding to hold the 2013 National Junior Disability Championships in Rochester. Orcas club administrator and developmental coach Ellen Youngers recently participated in a visit to Rochester by this organization’s event organizer. The sports commission is seeking to host this multi-sport national competition for young people with disabilities such as spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.  Ellen was very supportive of our efforts to bring this unique event to Rochester and went above and beyond during the visit with the site organizer to show how the Orcas staff and large volunteer base could provide swimming competition expertise, meet administration and also be a tremendous resource to the organization during the event planning. We are expecting to find out if we’ll be the host of this exciting event in early 2012.

The Orcas also give back to the Rochester community in two specific ways each year. On Sunday February 26th, they will hold a Special Olympics Swim Meet. In addition, the Orcas host an inter-club meet each winter in which all of the athletes bring food donations for the Channel One food shelf.

The RASC appreciates the strong relationship we have developed with the Rochester Swim Club Orcas and what they do for our community. We look forward to working together for many more years!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
January 13-15: All-American Softball Camp
January 14-15: Frostbite Volleyball Festival
January 30: Rochester Area Sports Banquet