Home-school swimmers win the right to be regarded as team
BevK February 26th, 2007
For the last two years, the home-school swim team VanRyckeghem coaches in Brentwood has worn garish, slightly defiant swim caps.
“Last year was bright green,” VanRyckeghem said. “This year we made them pink and black. I liked the green better. You could spot them all the way across the pool.”
For the last three years, their swim caps have provided the only recognition VanRyckeghem’s team was going to get. Tennessee high school swimming, which is governed by a different organization than most Tennessee high school sports, recognized home-schooled swimmers as individuals but not as a team.
Why not, VanRyckeghem figured, wear caps that said different?
All that changed Thursday night on the eve of this season’s state swimming championships at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville, when high school coaches from across the state voted to allow home-school teams to participate in next year’s meet as official teams.
