Culture can go a long way in any sports program, and the WEST Express Swim Club is seeing the impact of that firsthand.
A 60-member club back in the day, WEST Express has grown to 280 swimmers, ranging from those who have completed level four swimming lessons to those who have swum their whole life and want to continue in the masters program. The 280 swimmers in the 2022 spring/summer session make up the largest enrollment in the club’s history.
How it’s grown
Different factors have contributed to the club’s growth. WEST Express has been able to grow through word of mouth as the southwest metro area has also grown. The pool built at Pioneer Ridge Middle School in 2018 has not only increased interest in the club but also helped to accommodate the growing number of swimmers.
“We’ve expanded and tried to be super creative with practice times, but we are still crammed at times,” head coach Heidi Miler said.
Another reason Miler believes the club has grown is the pandemic. People wanted to find a way to remain active, but WEST Express could not increase the size of practice groups. This built a pent-up demand that led to more swimmers as restrictions were lifted.
“Believe it or not, the pandemic pushed us to our very limits on what we can handle,” Miler said. “Lots of parents wanted to get their kids involved in a sport.”
While these different factors contributed to WEST Express’ growth, a main reason Miler and swimmers believe the club is continuing to attract new members is the family-like atmosphere.
“We are competitive and we like to do well at meets, but the fellowship and friendship I see from swimmers is really amazing,” Miler said. “These guys are best friends and lift each other up. It’s heartwarming.”
Elements of WEST’s Culture
Other clubs throughout the Twin Cities metro primarily focus on the individual aspect of the sport. Swimmers at WEST Express, like rising senior Kiana Tardia and University of Indianapolis commit Kalina Fuglie, appreciate Miler and the coaching staff’s efforts to make it feel more like a team. At the beginning of each new session, Miler will often break swimmers up into lanes with people they do not know as well to build more camaraderie.
“The first week it’s good to be with people you aren’t necessarily as comfortable with and get to talk with them,” Tardia said. “It’s a good intro to the team for that season.”
“The coaching staff has made it a positive atmosphere for it to be set up like a family. There is not a divide between swimmers with different experiences,” Fuglie said.
WEST Express also prioritizes relationships with swimmers after they have graduated from high school. Miler will post updates on how swimmers from the club are doing in college and also welcomes them back during the summer to continue to train.
Callen Zemek, a distance swimmer at Gustavus Adolphus College, said the main focus college coaches have for swimmers during the offseason is to stay active so they are ready for intense practices right at the beginning of the following season. This goes hand-in-hand with the program Miler has built, and Zemek loves coming back to coach young swimmers, reconnect with friends and reflect on how far he has come thanks to WEST Express.
“I can tell from where I started out to where I am now, I’ve grown as a person. WEST is a family you can come back to no matter what,” Zemek said. “You have that second family to fall back on and we’re always here for you.”
The culture has even trickled down into parents of swimmers. Many are eager to volunteer wherever they are needed during a meet WEST Express will host.
“We were at a meet earlier this summer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and they kept calling out that they were in need of volunteers and we all thought, ‘This would never happen at WEST,’” Augustana University commit Eliza Prescher said.
Zemek, Tardia, Fuglie and Prescher idolized the older members of the club when they first started, and now they have moved through the club to the point where they are now some of the leaders. While that fact still has not fully set in, they do know that WEST Express is a family that will stick with them forever.
“It’s fun to see being around this long with one team that we created good community,” Miler said. “WEST is a club where swimmers know we’re here for them as a person, not just here to coach them.”
