Two of Sedona’s youth swim programs are merging lanes as Race Pace and the Swordfish combine this spring into a single nonprofit called the Sedona Swim Team.
The nonprofit will keep the Swordfish as its mascot, since that has been around since the 1970s and leaving behind years of competing for the same pool of kids.
“It’s great that they’re working together,” Parks and Recreation Manager Josh Frewin said. “Basically, instead of having two teams competing for the same people, getting it to this point where we can just have one good group [and] they can share lifeguards and it’ll be a positive change.”
Frewin said he is finalizing the team’s contract with the Sedona Community Pool and expects it to be completed within the next few weeks. Under the agreement, the merged team will operate from April through October, paying an hourly fee to rent the pool.
The merger gives the combined program nonprofit status. Race Pace had previously operated as a nonprofit under former head Sean Emery, and the new structure opens the door to sponsorships and donations.
“I was running [Race Pace] as a business that had to maintain a profit or break even,” said Jody Thornton, owner of Race Pace. “That’s hard to do, and so we have a greater opportunity to serve more people with nonprofits getting involved.”
The program runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and is open to swimmers ages 5 through high school, or any child who can swim the length of the pool unassisted. The cost is $125 per four-week session. Session one focuses on basic skills and runs Monday, April 13, through Friday, May 22. The main summer composition session is Monday, June 1, through Friday, July 31, and the last session Monday, Aug. 10, through Friday, Oct. 23.
“I was in [Amateur Athletic Union] swimming as a teenager, and I was competing at the national level, but my parents would come up to Sedona [from Phoenix] for extended vacation, and so I would swim with the Swordfish in the late ’70s,” Thornton said. “It was just really nice, pleasant training, making new friends and new connections and having a really good time at the meets without a lot of pressure.”
Thornton will be the head coach of the combined program, with Teresa Monteith working on the administrative side.
“I believe that Race Pace got started in 2014 and Swordfish got started in the mid 1970s when the pool was built. In fact, when I was about 15 years old, I swam during the summers for the Swordfish and Mike Holston was the coach at that time,” Thornton said. “His parents were big in the community and firefighting. So now I’m coming back full circle. We were two kind of struggling teams, and we decided, with the changes of leadership in the teams, to come together and merge for the good of the young swimmers in the Sedona community.”
Thornton said she does not see any major challenges in finalizing the merger but is currently working on securing a new website address, and that the Sedona Swim Team will have a more recreational focus.
“This recreational format is ideal for swimmers who want consistent coaching, improved technique, team camaraderie and the opportunity to participate in local summer meets without the pressure of a full year-round competitive commitment,” a Sedona Swim Team press release reads. “Families can expect a positive team culture that prioritizes growth, resilience and enjoyment of the water.”
Volunteers are welcome to help with coaching, timing and meet setup, though a background check is required.
For inquiries about team membership reach out to Monteith at (928) 592-7376.
