Brandon Bluefins making a splash

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/11/2023 (715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Bluefins swim club is Brandon’s local swim club that practices at the Sportsplex. Run by head coach Barb Fay, the club is great for everyone looking to get into competitive swimming — from ages 6 to 18 they have a level for you! If you are over 18, that’s not a problem! Join the master’s program run by Malcom Mackinney. The master’s program is great for any adults that want to start or get back into swimming, whether competitively or just for conditioning. The Bluefins have 128 swimmers in their regular program this year, and six swimmers in their master’s program. As the club’s catchphrase says, the Bluefins have been “Making a splash in Westman since 1986.”

Ellen Clark is a senior swimmer who has been swimming with the Bluefins for seven years. She is one of the best swimmers on the team and started coaching for the Bluefins this year as well. For those who don’t know the difference, Clark describes the difference between competitive swimming and swimming lessons for us. “Swimming lessons [are for] learning to swim, it’s a life skill. In competitive swimming, you are building towards a goal (time) that you want to achieve when you already know how to swim.” Competitive swimming focuses on four main strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

One of the things that makes the Brandon Bluefins different is that it’s a small team, and you get lots of one-on-one time with the coaches. Clark described the team atmosphere as “light-hearted, there is a lot of fun and jokes. The Bluefins are like a second little family.” The Bluefins often get together for team suppers during swim meets, showing how the friendships made at Bluefins last outside the pool as well. The Bluefins were looking for coaches this year, and Clark stepped up to help them. She coaches with the Mini Fin program, which focuses on developing young swimmers. Clark saw coaching as a great way to get more involved with the team and the sport, as she hopes to swim for the University of Manitoba Bisons after she graduates.

The Bluefins are hosting junior provincials this year for the first time since 2019. When you are competing in junior provincials it usually comes with more pressure because, instead of competing against yourself and your own time, it feels like you are competing against many other people. Clark is excited for Brandon to host junior provincials but is worried about the limited amount of space, stating, “It’s going to be very crowded, [as] the Sportsplex doesn’t have as much room as the Pan-Am Pool.” Even though it will be crowded, I still encourage everyone to come out and watch junior provincial Feb. 9-11. You will get to see upwards of 400 of the best swimmers in our province (possibly future nationalists) and watch them do some great swimming. In the meantime, come out on Dec. 1-2 to support the Bluefins in their first home meet of the year, the Rural Roundup.

All swim meets require many officials and volunteers, especially one the size of junior provincials. I encourage anybody who might be interested in volunteering at one of Brandon’s swims meets to reach out to head coach Barb Fay at barbfay@westman.wave.ca.

» Sarah Martin is a Grade 11 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.