There’s nothing quite like the feeling of diving headlong into a pool of clear, cool water, body streamlined for efficiency, and beginning the rhythmic strokes, kicks and breathing of a good, long swim. For many members of the Mighty Krocs Master’s Swim Team, it’s a feeling they never imagined they’d experience.
The Chicago Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is giving adults who never learned to swim or didn’t have access to a pool or lessons as children the opportunity to develop a rewarding new skill, to be part of a supportive team and to learn to love the water. It’s a passion of coach Danny Prear.
“I love sharing my passion with others,” he said. “I like to see people move forward. It brings a lot of joy to me.”
A Chicago native, Danny learned to swim at his local park district, where he developed a love and respect of the water. He went on to swim competitively during high school and college. After many years at Chicago Park District aquatics and coaching water polo, he joined the Chicago Kroc Center as a swim and lifeguard instructor and coach more than a decade ago.
The Mighty Krocs team was formed in 2019 when some adults Danny had taught to swim expressed interest in competing; others needed some encouragement. At the start, 80 percent of the team consisted of new swimmers.
“No matter what level of swimmer you are, there is a place for you on the team,” said member Flo Gittens.
For some members of the team, barriers they faced as youth prevented them from learning to swim. Others developed fear of the water due to lack of exposure or a bad experience early on in life. But with Danny’s encouragement and gentle coaching, they’ve gone from apprehension to confidence as they learned to float, work with the water instead of against it, and find their rhythm.
“It’s about trust,” said Danny. “We start with the basics, blowing bubbles and back floats, and they begin to feel comfortable in the water. Before they know it, they’re swimming.”
In the years since its inception, the team of 20 individuals has grown to include swimmers of all ability levels, some who have competitive experience and others looking for a challenging workout or to hone their skills.
“The structure, the camaraderie and the variety are so much more as a team than you can do on your own,” said team member Pat Rohan.
The team practices hard twice a week, and Danny says he often sees members working on their skills during off days, independently improving their technique or endurance in one or more of the major competition strokes: front crawl (also called freestyle), breaststroke, backstroke and the challenging butterfly stroke. The Mighty Krocs participate in swim meets all over the Midwest.
