VSA offers swimmers free trial period

Published 5:36 pm Wednesday, August 9, 2017

: Vicksburg Swim Association members churn laps during a practice in July. The VSA will hold its annual “Try-It Week” beginning Tuesday, when children ages 18 and under are welcome to practice with the team on a free trial. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

The Vicksburg Swim Association recently completed a successful summer season, and now it’s opening its lanes to find new recruits.

The VSA will hold its annual “Try-It Week” beginning Tuesday. For three days, Aug. 15-17, swimmers under the age of 18 are welcome to participate in practice with the VSA’s Killer Whales competitive team on a free trial to see if they’d like to join the program.

VSA coach Mathew Mixon said the only requirement is “a winning attitude,” although participants must have their own swim suit and goggles, and know how to swim. The VSA is a competitive program and not for novices.

“It’s not swim lessons,” Mixon said. “It’s a free chance to check out our program and see what swim team is all about. I guess you could say it’s not an open house, but an open pool.”

The VSA’s Try-It Week will be in effect Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week at City Pool. Swimmers ages 10 and under will practice from 4 to 5 p.m., and swimmers ages 11 and over will swim from 5 to 6 p.m.

For more information, call Mathew Mixon at 601-629-7392.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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