Synchrobelles looking for talent
By Lethbridge Herald on January 7, 2022.
Some prospective Lethbridge Synchrobelles get warmed up under the instruction of head coach Sara Kindt at a free trial for the club's recreational program Friday afternoon at the University of Lethbridge pool. Herald photo by Dale WoodardDale Woodard – Lethbridge Herald
The Lethbridge Synchrobelles are looking for a few swimmers with all the right moves.
On Friday afternoon at the University of Lethbridge pool, the synchronized swimming team held an introductory course for interested swimmers to see just how fun it can be to bust into dance routines in the water.
Just make sure you hold your breath.
“Today we’re offering a free trial for a recreational program that starts Jan. 14,” said Synchrobelles head coach Sara Kindt. “It’s a chance for swimmers five-and-up to get a chance to see what synchronized swimming is. We train them a little bit on land first and then a little bit on the water. They kind of get a small taste of what’s to come. It’s in hopes they’ll join us for our eight-week program until March.”
Six interested swimmers hit the pool for Friday’s clinic, going through some of the standard moves with the help of some coaches.
Kindt said synchronized swimming is definitely a sport that takes a lot of time in the pool to perfect and work on one’s skills.
“It is an artistic sport, though. It’s similar to dancing and gymnastics,” she said. “It’s just holding your breath underwater (while) dancing. We’ve been promoting it on our social media and our website, but we’re definitely trying to get the word out there that we have a synchronized swimming team in Lethbridge.”
The sport of synchronized swimming requires a large skillset, said Kindt.
“There’s definitely coordination, because you’re usually doing multiple things at once. (It’s) strength, flexibility, determination and drive. A passion for it is great, because it helps drive you. (It takes) patience because the skills take a while to develop. It’s just a love for the water.”
There was also a little dryland – or in this case poolside – training to be done before the students hit the water Friday afternoon.
“A lot of what we do in the water, we have moves on land that help us perform in the water,” said Kindt. “We do some of the basic stuff with them on land first and then it’ll help us with what they do in the water as well. So there is some stretching and some different movement types of stuff and then we’ll get in the water and try things out.”
The recreational season starts next week and runs for eight weeks for the beginners.
The team won’t compete, but the skills they develop, they’ll showcase at the Synchrobelles water show in March.
The club, however, does have a competitive program with their first in-pool event coming up the last weekend of this month.
“They have a competition at the end of this month in Calgary,” said Kindt. “We have five on the team and two solo (swimmers).”
The competitive swimmers started in September with many of the swimmers having competed a few years prior, said Kindt.
But with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping the club out of the pool last year, the team is getting back into game shape.
“It has definitely been a catch-up year since last year was kind of a hiccup,” said Kindt. “So training has been slow because we don’t want to push our athletes past the point of where they should be after not training last year. But things are looking good. I know our coach, Carly Handsaeme, is really excited for our meet coming up. We’re liking what we’re seeing with the girls. I think they’re getting ready.”
The Synchrobelles competitive team had a dryland competition via Zoom in early-December, said Kindt.
“My goal for my athletes is to always have fun and do their best, because you can’t go back and redo it. You get one chance in front of those judges and you have to leave it all out there. So give it your all. All I want them to do is have fun. Placing isn’t important to me, it’s an individual mark that’s more important.”
The competitive team goes until June and has another competition in Edmonton in February and a competition in Lethbridge in April that they don’t host, said Kindt, adding the team will occasionally go to Regina or Saskatoon in May, but not this year.
The Synchrobelles also have a Masters swim program that will be competing in April, said Kindt, adding the team ranges in age from 18 to 75.
All of the Synchrobelles teams are still welcoming swimmers.
For more information, visit http://www.lethsynchro.ca or visit the Synchrobelles on Twitter at https://twitter.com/synchrobelles or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lethsynchro.
Kindt can also be reached via email at lsssc.coach@gmail.com.
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