Michaela McCoy of St. Charles struggled with low self-esteem as a younger child. Like many youth, she was withdrawn and unsure of herself.
“She was afraid to try new things,” said Michaela’s mother Chrystal. “She was timid and lacked confidence. I tried getting her interested in different activities, but none of them seemed to click with her.”
Then something did click. Four years ago Michaela was with her family at the YMCA signing up for classes, when she caught sight of swim team sign-ups.
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“I knew that was what I wanted to do,” said Michaela. “I enjoyed swimming and this seemed a perfect fit.”
Michaela started with a year of pre-competitive swim lessons. At the end of the year, she was ready for the team. She became a member of the St. Charles County Family YMCA Stingray Swim Team, and has never looked back.
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“When she started on the Stingray Team, she began to blossom,” said Chrystal. “She radiates when she swims or talks about the team. It made all the difference in the world.” Chrystal became more involved in the team to support her daughter, and now serves as president of Parent Executive Board.
Being on the swim team has given Michaela confidence and self-assurance. “I love the swim team – my coach Danielle is amazing! I love that you compete against yourself, not against others,” said Michaela. Michaela is a freshman at St. Charles High School and is a member of their swim team.
The Stingrays Swim Team is the premier swim team of St. Charles County and was ranked the top Missouri team at the 2011 YMCA Saint Louis District Swimming championships. It is a year round competitive swim team offering high quality professional coaching and technique instruction for all ages and abilities. The goal of the team is to provide every member an opportunity to improve swimming skills and achieve success at his or her level of ability, from novice to international competitor (5 – 21 years old).
All the coaches, as members of the American Swimming Coaches Association / USA Swimming / YMCA Swimming, have access to the most comprehensive training and certification programs for youth coaches of any sport in the United States.
The focus of the coaching staff is to develop swimmers with proper stroke techniques and development opportunities to help them meet their full competitive potential, while emphasizing the core principals of the YMCA: Caring, Honesty, Respect, & Responsibility.
The Stingrays Swim Team is a non – profit club that is part of the Saint Charles County Family YMCA. The team is run by its coaches and elected Board of Directors which meets each month. All members are welcome at each meeting and encouraged to be involved in team activities and fundraisers.
The Stingray Swim Team is having open try outs August 12 – 15 from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the St. Charles County Family YMCA, located at 3900 Shady Springs Lane, St. Peters, 63376. For more information, contact The Y at 636-928-1928.
“It’s not how much you gave. It’s how much you gave after you gave it your all.” Team Motto