ASHLAND — Over a decade ago, divers hung up their swim trunks when Ashland’s YMCA swim team disbanded.
But 2019 has welcomed the Aqua Aces back into the pool. The team has reformed while promoting friendly competition and enhancing swimming skills in the community.
David Taylor, head of the Aqua Aces, explained how the Ashland-based team was reborn.
“Myself and a few parents talked about doing something different and really giving our kids the opportunity to compete in the area with some of the teams we already swim against in the summertime,” Taylor said. “As we got closer to the start of the summer season, I reached out to some donors and Ashland University.
“It’s pretty awesome to have someone step up and give us the funds.”
The YMCA did not budget for a swim and dive team. So, Debbie Little, owner of DLL Quality Consulting in Ashland, donated the funds to restart the Aqua Aces while Ashland University granted the team the space to practice its skills.
Weekly practices include children and teenagers from the ages of 7 to 18 gathering together at Ashland University’s Recreation Center’s indoor pools to learn proper diving techniques and swimming mechanics. Younger swimmers have the opportunity to learn and become comfortable jumping off a diving board.
Taylor pointed out this community swim and dive team differs from those hailing from a school system.
“It’s a lot different compared to high school diving – where you focus on doing twists, somersaults and different entries,” Taylor said. “I thought it was going to be all about the pencil dip and getting comfortable on a board.
“It’s pretty competitive.”
At a diving competition, three judges determine a score based on the dive’s level of difficulty and how well it was performed.
Andrea White, a two-time diving state qualifier at Ashland High School, focuses on handing the coaching and leadership of the athletes. Her sidekick is Chelsea Usleton, who is the assistant coach.
Taylor was on the swim team when he was in high school.
“The swim coach my junior year of high school had one rule, which was not to mess around the diving board unless you were a diver,” Taylor said. “We had no guy divers that year.”
Promptly after his coach exited the pool and the coast was supposedly clear, Taylor mischievously did a flip off of the board and into the pool. He resurfaced completely oblivious to the fact that his coach was reentering the pool and saw the whole thing.
“I became a diver the rest of that season,” Taylor said.
The Aqua Aces will compete at the Greater Mansfield Aquatic Conference (GMAC) Championships on Monday, July 8 at Woodland Club in Mansfield.They will be competing against Colonel Crawford, the Clearfork Piranhas, the Walnut Hills Ducks and the Woodland Eels.
The Aqua Aces plan to be around for years to come, so wannabe divers and swimmers are encouraged to inquire about joining the team towards the start of next summer.
