{"id":1659,"date":"2025-04-15T09:59:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T01:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2025-04-15T09:59:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T01:59:16","slug":"magic-happens-when-kids-and-adults-learn-to-swim-the-makos-swim-team-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/?p=1659","title":{"rendered":"Magic Happens When Kids and Adults Learn To Swim: The Makos Swim Team Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Tags:<\/strong> Makos Swim Team, Black Swimmers Alliance, Swimming, Water Safety, St. Louis, Racial Equity, Community<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breaking Barriers at the Pool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At a swim meet near St. Louis, the Makos Swim Team, a group of young Black and multiracial swimmers, turns heads as they enter with their parents. Spectators whisper about their presence, but the team is undeterred. \u201cWe\u2019re here to stay and show that Black kids can swim,\u201d says Randella Randell, a swimmer\u2019s mom. Based in North St. Louis, the Makos, coached by Terea Goodwin and Torrie Preciado, encourage kids aged 4 to 19 to compete and promote water safety in their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Legacy of Exclusion in Swimming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, Black Americans were barred from public pools, and even after desegregation, private swim clubs with high fees kept swimming segregated. This legacy persists\u2014over a third of Black adults can\u2019t swim, double the national rate, per CDC data. The Makos Swim Team and the Black Swimmers Alliance, formed by parents in 2023, aim to bridge this gap by offering swim lessons to families of color. Despite funding challenges due to federal pushback on diversity programs, they\u2019re committed to saving lives through aquatic skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The High Stakes of Water Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, with Black children and adults drowning at higher rates than white peers, according to the CDC. Recent tragedies in St. Louis, like a 6-year-old\u2019s death in a hotel pool, underscore the urgency. The Black Swimmers Alliance pushes for swim education, but many Makos parents initially couldn\u2019t swim themselves due to historical fears and lack of access, prompting a role reversal where kids encourage their parents to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parents and Kids Learning Together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Makos swimmer Joseph Johnson, 14, inspired his mom, Connie, to take swim lessons after pointing out her lack of expertise. Similarly, Najma Nasiruddin-Crump and Joshua Crump learned to swim after their daughter Kaia joined the team. \u201cIt\u2019s pure freedom,\u201d Najma says of overcoming her fear of the deep end. Parents like Bradlin Jacob-Simms, a Hurricane Katrina survivor, also joined lessons, driven by the importance of water safety. Through the Black Swimmers Alliance, these parents are breaking generational barriers while their kids compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overcoming Challenges and Building Resilience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Makos face challenges beyond the pool\u2014practicing in a YMCA without starting blocks, using makeshift equipment, and enduring disqualifications by white officials. Parents have become officials to ensure fairness, but racist comments persist at meets. Coach Terea Goodwin, a former lifeguard who rescued countless drowning children, emphasizes survival skills, like swimming in clothes. The team recites, \u201cSome didn\u2019t think we\u2019d make it this far, but we have to show them,\u201d reflecting their determination to succeed despite adversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Community Effort for a Lifesaving Mission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Black Swimmers Alliance initially aimed to fund 1,000 free swim lessons by 2025 but scaled back to 500 due to funding uncertainties. Still, they remain dedicated to supporting Black athletes in competitive swimming through school and college. Mahoganny Richardson, a Makos parent, teaches swim lessons to other parents, starting with conversations about their water experiences. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about swimming,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about overcoming something that once felt impossible,\u201d highlighting the transformative power of this community effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tags: Makos Swim Team, Black Swimmers Alliance, Swimming, Water Safety, St. Louis, Racial Equity, Community Breaking Barriers at the Pool At a swim meet near St. Louis, the Makos Swim Team, a group of young Black and multiracial swimmers, turns heads as they enter with their parents. Spectators whisper about their presence, but the team [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1659"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1660,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions\/1660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportpro.cc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}