Coach Chris Lalonde announces finishers as they complete their laps.

By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

WARSAW – The first thing you notice is the sound, a steady rhythm, a whoosh-splash of water displaced by dozens of young arms, punctuated by the calls of “Head down, reach longer!”

The air in the Warsaw Community High School natatorium is warm and thick, carrying the scent of chlorine and the hum of effort. On this evening, the energy is amplified because it’s fundraiser night for the Warsaw Aquatic Club (WAC), and the pool is a whirlwind of motion and purpose.

Resilience

I was invited to the aquatic fundraiser by Kelly Mager, a board member and swim mom, to witness the spectacle. Her two sons, ages 7 and 9, were among the dozens of kids churning through the water.

“I did swim club in high school in Ohio,” she told me, her eyes tracking her boys. “So, I understand how it works.”

Now, she’s part of the engine that keeps it running: a non-profit organization managed entirely by a board of volunteers and parents.

The team’s home pool at Warsaw Community High School, recently given a “facelift” with fresh paint and flooring, was a stage for perseverance. The goal for the evening was ambitious: to raise $10,000. The method was simple. Younger, novice swimmers in the Copper and Bronze groups aimed for 50 laps (100 lengths of the pool), some aided by bright fins. The older, more experienced athletes in Silver and Gold groups powered through a staggering 100 laps, or 200 lengths, of the very long pool. Parents sat on the deck, clipboards in hand, diligently counting, while coaches weaved along the edge, offering encouragement and technical advice.

Camaraderie

Swimmer Jake Summers with his mom Kayla taking a swim break.

But what is all this effort for? Beyond the immediate goal of new gear, what is the true return on this investment of time, sweat, and pizza parties?

I found the answer in the coaches who have dedicated their lives to this pool and these swimmers. Head Coach Chris Lalonde and Assistant Coach Eric Mohler have been a team for over three decades. They are the constants, the keepers of the club’s long history, which stretches back nearly 50 years to a YMCA team on Smith Street in the 70s.

Discipline

When I asked Eric what keeps him coming back five, sometimes seven days a week, if there’s a swim meet, he didn’t mention wins or records. His face lit up. “I like working with the kids and seeing how happy they are when they improve. I love to see their smiles. They learn something new. They’re happy. The parents are happy.”

Head Coach Lalonde echoed this, highlighting the deeper life lessons. “I, too, love seeing the growth of the kids. They learn such discipline. They learn how to manage their time and be organized. This shows up in their swimming, but also in their schoolwork.”

This is the secret of WAC. While the focus is on perfecting stroke techniques and competing under the banner of USA Swimming, the mission is broader. It’s about building character, fostering friendships, and providing a sanctuary.

Parent Rebecca Noftz captured this perfectly as her daughter Nora was the very first swimmer to finish her laps: “We love this team … It’s so cool that they can choose to swim without the stress of competition, too, if a kid wants. They can just come and swim. It’s the best exercise and camaraderie.”

Confidence

The fundraiser is about more than matching swim parkas or swim caps for the 37 divisional qualifiers. It’s about more than facelifts and equipment and pizza. It’s about fueling a community. It’s about fulfilling Coach Lalonde’s dream of providing every Silver and Gold swimmer with their own personal training fins and snorkels to perfect their stroke technique. It’s about supporting the first-year swimmer who, as her parent Smit Pandya marveled, “learned more in two weeks than I thought possible, thanks to coaches who are so passionate.”

As the final swimmers hauled themselves from the water, exhausted and triumphant, the pizza boxes were opened. The air filled with laughter and the easy chatter of shared accomplishment. In that humid, chlorinated space, you could feel it, the pulse of a community invested not just in creating faster swimmers, but in raising resilient, disciplined, and happy kids. The Warsaw Aquatic Club isn’t just a team; it’s a legacy of character, built one lap at a time.

Tip: For new families interested in joining the Warsaw Aquatic Club, information and fees can be found here.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives or Banter? Send Shari Benyousky of SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].