Monroeville SNAP program a success for quartet of swimmers

When Jamee Kovacs helped get the Special Needs Aquatic Program off the ground in September, she hoped to give her son, Caleb, and others throughout the Monroeville area more opportunities to find comfort in the water.

Now, seven months later, Kovacs, a board member with the Monroeville Marlins Swim Club, says the program has a strong footing with an exciting future ahead.

The first season concluded March 22 with a swim meet celebration at the pool at Gateway High School.

“It was just an amazing night for the kids, but also for the parents,” Kovacs said. “For me, I was directing it, but also seeing it, it was really awesome.”

Throughout the year, family swim, in connection with the Municipality of Monroeville, was Saturday afternoons at Gateway High School and was designed to get kids comfortable with the water.

The second part, in more of a team environment, was Tuesdays and was connected to the Marlins team practices at Gateway with adult coaches and Marlins team members engaging in instruction.

Designed for kids who already have some established swimming skills, a quartet of boys — Ollie Kotts, a third grader at Ramsey Elementary; Caleb Kovacs and Andre Kroz, fifth graders at Mosside Middle School; and 18-year-old Gateway student Jack Rocco — swam in the program consistently.

“Each time, they would warm up with a couple of laps with kickboards and a swim noodle and we would also get in and splash around a little bit and have some fun to get them warmed up, too,” Kovacs said.

“They would also do a freestyle lap with nothing else, and at the end, they would get out and practice jumping off the blocks.”

Toward the end of the season, the instructors worked with Andre to teach him how to dive.

“He did pretty well,” Kovacs said. “They were mostly belly-smackers, but he was getting the concept.”

Kovacs said one of the main things she saw from the start to the end was an increase in endurance.

“In September, when we would have practice, we would have to stop a little early because they were all so tired,” she said.

“At the end, they were swimming a lot, feeling good and not wanting to get out.”

Kovacs said she also saw their confidence grow.

“From the second to the last week, we practiced for the meet, and we worked on starts and a number of other things. We told them were having the meet, and they got it. They understood and were excited. My son, Caleb, he is non-verbal, but I could tell he was listening to what I was saying and following directions as far as getting out of the pool and waiting for the starter to start. We just had the one practice run-through before the meet, and they were ready. It was really neat to see.”

The March 22 meet consisted of four events — an individual freestyle and backstroke and a pair of relays with members of the Marlins.

“I told the boys they could invite their families and whoever they wanted to the meet,” Kovacs said. “I invited Caleb’s aide and his teacher from school. His aide ended up inviting so many other aids and staff in the building.”

The stands, Kovacs said, were full with everyone cheering. The Marlins swimmers who had practice later in the evening came early to cheer on the boys.

The special night and its meaning was not lost on Ollie Kotts’ mother, Amanda.

“For Oliver, he came in with basic swim skills, and I was able to see him advance on those skills,” she said.

“It was also important to see him be able to take instruction from somebody new. Kids with autism, having someone new for them to listen to and follow directions can sometimes be a challenge. Jamee and the volunteers did a fantastic job at getting him to pay attention, follow the crowd and do what was being asked. It was a big step for him.”

The second season for the SNAP program begins in connection with the start of the Marlins season in September, and Kovacs said the four boys in the program this year plan to return. She also hopes other families with special-needs youth will consider joining the program.

Kovacs said the municipality is bringing back adaptive swimming as a program which will help teach kids to swim, and it will act as some type of feeder for the Tuesday night SNAP sessions with the Marlins.