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2025 HARLAN SUMMER SWIM TEAM REGISTRATION!
Amber SChmitz
Amber SChmitz
Head Coach
Head Coach
Amber was a former Harlan Summer Swim Team swimmer as a child, swam in high school for the Harlan Community and Lewis Central swim teams, coached the Harlan Summer Swim Team for 2 years in high school and college, and has served on the Harlan Swim Team board for seven years.
Amber has been the head coach of the Harlan Swim Club winter team since its formation in 2017.
Once your child does swim team, you'll feel so much better about having them around water. It is also a great workout and a way for kids to get some of that excess energy out! Swim team really teaches students to get the feel for the water and swim efficiently.
Swim team is a really unique in that students from kindergarten to seniors in high school are on the same team and competing at the same meets. This creates a fun dynamic and opportunity for older students to support and mentor other swimmers. Harlan Summer Swim Team is just fun, competitive, and supportive!
The team is well-organized, and it takes many volunteers to make a meet run. Thankfully, parents have been willing to help out to make the meets run smoothly.
My favorite part about swim team is getting to know the swimmers and watching them improve in their technique, strength, and swimming endurance. For a sport that is a skill you'll use for the rest of your life, I believe swim team is a bargain and every kid should do it for a minimum of a season or two!
Ainsley Mages
Ainsley Mages
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Years Involved in Swim Team: 10
Why do you enjoy swim team?:
Why do you enjoy swim team?:
Summer swim is a great way to stay busy and have fun with my friends. It has given me so many opportunities to compete for my team, and I’ve been very successful with the help of the other coaches. My favorite memory of swim team was when Coach Logan Maxwell would let us push him in the pool after winning a meet, and after his last conference meet with us, he wore a tuxedo for us to push him in the water with. One of the best things I’ve learned from swim team is that I can push myself to things I never would have thought I could do.
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Since joining swim a whole decade ago, I have gone from just knowing how to tread water to becoming a top three state ranked athlete. My favorite stroke is backstroke because it is fun and not something that many people enjoy. My biggest achievement in swim so far has been reaching my goal of winning an event at state, and I got that last winter.
Team & Friendship:
Team & Friendship:
Being a part of this team is so uplifting because you can tell how much your friends care about your success. The other swimmers are always so supportive, and I don’t just see it in my own friends. Coaching has given me a new perspective and I’ve been able to see new friendships and encouragement from everyone, friends or not. I have made many friends both on my team and on others, and some of them I am still very close with. My favorite team activity is our fun relays because we get to try something new with people we don’t always practice with.
Fun & Activities:
Fun & Activities:
Swim meets are so fun for me because I love to compete. I am typically pushed by lots of other athletes ranging from all ages, and girls and boys.
Personal Growth:
Personal Growth:
Since joining I have realized how much it pays off to try my best to reach my goals. This season I am looking forward to improving all of my races, and maybe even trying to break a record or two.
Lucas Paulsen
Lucas Paulsen
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Years Involved in Swim Team: 5
Why do you enjoy swim team?
Why do you enjoy swim team?
My favorite thing about the Harlan Summer Swim Team is being able to do a sport that I enjoy, while still being able to have fun with my friends while competing. The coaches are also a great aspect of my admiration for swim team, as the nature of the sport allows them to give one-on-one direction when it is needed. The thing that makes me excited to show up to practice everyday is being able to stay active in the offseason, but still have a good time with my teammates. My favorite memory of swim team is being able to push our coach in the pool after we win the conference meet every year. During my time on the team, I have learned the ins and outs of swimming, advancing my swimming knowledge from near zero to a competitive level. My coaches have played a huge roll in my development, pushing me to join swim team and showing up every day to push us in practice.
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
When I joined swim team, the most swimming I had done was in a lifejacket, floating on the lake with my family. My skills truly advanced in my first years, getting to the point where I was able to be competitive in my age group. By far my favorite stroke is backstroke, mainly because I am able to breath during the entirety of my race, but also because it comes naturally to me. While on swim team, I have reached and exceeded many goals that I had set, winning a number of races over the years, and being able to swim faster and faster each meet.
Team & Friendship:
Team & Friendship:
Being a part of the swim team is like being a part of a big family, everyone collaborating and learning from each other, with room for improvement at all age groups. The returning swimmers are very inviting and nice, helping the younger swimmers develop a love for the sport. Older swimmers are always willing to help the younger kids, and all you have to do is ask. Through the swim team, I have met many friends that I would not have otherwise. Although some of my long time friends pushed me to be on the team, they also introduced me to the swimming community, growing my connections and friends in the sport.
Fun & Activities:
Fun & Activities:
On the last practice of each season, the swim team holds a pot luck and allows us to swim at the public pool later that evening. While this is an annual event, every day at practice is different and assorted swimming games and activities are put on by the coaches to keep the swimmers entertained. My favorite thing about swim meets is the laid-back mentality at the meets, and being able to be around my friends although I am still at a competitive event.
Personal Growth:
Personal Growth:
Over the duration of my time on the swim team, I have pushed my physical and mental limits farther than I ever thought I could, and learned to be applicable to all strokes if need be. As for other areas of my life, just this last year, I was one of the two recipients of the annual scholarship given out by the winter team. I am grateful for this and look forward to watching more people receive the same. This up coming season, I am most looking forward to showing up to the first day of practice, and seeing all of the new swimmers that the team has brought out this season!
Ben Schmitz
Ben Schmitz
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Years Involved in Swim Team: 9
Why do you enjoy swim team?
Why do you enjoy swim team?
My favorite thing about being on the Harlan Summer Swim Team is seeing personal progress by improving my times. It’s motivating to track how much faster I’ve become through consistent effort, and it makes each meet feel like a chance to set a new goal. Having friends on the team makes the experience even better—we support each other, stay competitive in a positive way, and enjoy practice more together. I also look forward to coming to practice because I know it’s helping me stay healthy and strong, both physically and mentally.
Being on the team has taught me how to be a leader. Whether it’s setting a good example in practice, helping teammates stay focused, or offering encouragement during tough sets, I’ve learned how to take initiative and be someone others can count on.
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
When I first joined swim team at eight years old, swimming across the pool was difficult. Now, after nearly a decade, swimming is relaxing and enjoyable. Swim team has helped me build valuable skills that I can use throughout my life. As I’ve progressed, breaststroke has become my favorite, and it is what I swim the most of. I enjoy breaststroke because of the technical requirements and potential for refinement. Through breaststroke, I have reached goals like placing well at conference, but I have also achieved personal times that I am very happy with.
Team & Friendship:
Team & Friendship:
As a swimmer, I can confidently say that being part of our swim team makes the sport much more enjoyable. It provides great competition and many opportunities to make friends. I have been fortunate to swim with many of my friends since I joined the team, and I hope to continue doing so. I enjoy playing water polo at practice each year.
Fun & Activities:
Fun & Activities:
At swim meets, I like being able to watch my friends swim, mess around between events, and most importantly, competing.
Personal Growth:
Personal Growth:
In swim team, I’ve learned to appreciate the results of hard work. Moreover, it has helped me develop mental strength, patience, and a better work ethic. I look forward to being in the pool again this summer.
Emeri Smith
Emeri Smith
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Years Involved in Swim Team: 8
Why do you enjoy swim team?
Why do you enjoy swim team?
My favorite thing about swim team is hanging out with my friends during swim meets and growing as a swimmer. What makes me excited to go to practice is having friends there. It’s definitely a lot better when you have someone to talk to. My favorite memory is winning the Conference meet during summer swim and we got to push the coaches in the pool. One thing I have learned from being on the team is how to push myself to get better and achieve the goals I set for myself.
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
When I first joined swim, I didn’t know the strokes that well especially breaststroke and butterfly. Now I swim 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke and hold the girls 15-18 100 butterfly record! My favorite stroke is freestyle because it’s more calming and less tiring compared to butterfly and breaststroke (the other strokes I swim) when practicing. One of my goals is qualifying in as many events for State as possible (winter swim season) and this year I qualified in 8 events this year which was very exciting!
Team & Friendship:
Team & Friendship:
The swim team is very welcoming and there is no pressure to be the best, only encouragement to grow. The other swimmers are very nice and fun to be around, it definitely makes long meets easier hanging out with other members. I have made a lot of good friends on the team. My favorite team activity is the end of year banquet when we get to fun swim with each other, eat a lot of food, and play a quizlet of that season.
Fun & Activities:
Fun & Activities:
The most fun activity i’ve done with the team is the fun relays during practice, we get to compete against each other with made up strokes. It is really funny to watch and fun to do. There are other games we play during practice that are also super fun! My favorite thing about swim meet is hanging out with friends and cheering each other on when they are swimming.
Personal Growth:
Personal Growth:
Being in swim helps you with every other sport you are in and not only that but it helps keep you in shape during the in between seasons. I’m looking forward to competing new events in this upcoming swim season.
McKenna Wohlhutter
McKenna Wohlhutter
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Years Involved in Swim Team: 7
Why do you enjoy swim team?
Why do you enjoy swim team?
My favorite thing about Harlan swim team is the community and bonds that you build with people from any age. You always find new people and get to know them so well. What makes me excited to come to practice is the way the coaches bond with the swimmers, they always make sure everyone is included! My favorite memory from being on swim team is when I got all-conference last summer, it showed how much the team cared about me! One thing that I have learned from being on swim team is that winning doesn’t matter, it’s all about the experiences that you get to enjoy with other teams, coaches, and parents.
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
Swimming Skills & Improvement:
My swimming has improved by building up my stamina every year that I get the opportunity to swim with Harlan Swim Team. My favorite stroke is butterfly because I love how I get to use my upper body so much and just being able to push myself though the water. Some goals that I have reached while being on swim team are getting new PRs, making it to state for winter swim, and being able to attend conference in the summer.
Team & Friendship:
Team & Friendship:
Being apart of the team is like another family, we all treat each other with respect and kindness that everyone feels like it’s there second home. The other swimmers on this team are supportive, kind and always friendly with not just people on our team but also with other teams. I have made multiple good friends on swim team, Josie has been apart of my life forever it feels like, she’s always so supportive and cheers me on during every event that I do. My favorite team activity is when we all get together at the end of the season and have our pot lock it brings family’s together!
Fun & Activities:
Fun & Activities:
The most fun team activity that we have done is when we do our fun relays, you get to do strange strokes while also having a friendly competition with your teammates. My favorite thing about swim meets are when we have our pep-talk before the meet starts, it gets your energy going and it gets you excited to be swimming for that day.
Personal Growth:
Personal Growth:
I have learned how to apart of a team while competing individually while also improving myself and the team. It has helped me to support everyone no matter what, it has also taught me that you don’t need to win all the time, it’s okay to not get first or second; it’s a building experience. I am most looking forward to spending time with the little swimmers and getting to know them better so I can be more powerful with cheering them on.
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