Hamilton Mill Hammerheads: More Than Just a Swim Team

The Hamilton Mill Hammerheads are not just a swim team, they are a group of over 200 young swimmers who gather together with friends for a little competition and to experience an amazing community atmosphere that fully supports their children in a good old fashion fun summer sport.

“Our youngest swimmers are four years old and our oldest swimmers are 18, so we have a wide range of kids in our community that are swimming,” head coach Holly Isserstedt said. “We are a group with lots of siblings, friends and neighbors.”

Summer league is very different from swimming for a yearlong organization or even at the middle school or high school level because it is mostly for fun.

“It is meant to be a social experience and a way for them to have exercise in the summer and an activity with their friends,” Isserstedt explained. “We have fun Friday where we have donuts and play games. Swimmers get the opportunity to socialize as well as swim with their friends during the week. They also get to meet new friends that they may not know who live in their same community. It keeps kids away from video games and TV for a few hours, and also allows them to broaden their scope of friends.”

But don’t think that the Hammerheads are all fun and games -- they are a competitive team with lots of young talent.

“We do have quite a number of swimmers who have county records, and who have qualified for the state with their school teams,” Isserstedt said.  “Many of them are dropping times every time they compete in a meet.”

The goals for each swimmer on the Hamilton Mill Hammerhead team are different, and as unique as their personalities.

“We have several swimmers that swim year long for Swim Atlanta, and then some who just swim for fun on our summer swim team,” Isserstedt explained. “There are certainly different goals and objectives for every swimmer.  Some are involved in the team to become more competitive and to improve their times, and then some of them are there just for fun and because they love to swim and be around their friends. We also have swimmers who are new to swimming and are trying to decide if this is a sport that they are going to enjoy for a long period of time.”

In addition to Isserstedt and her assistant coach Luba Alova Sefcik, the team gives its older and more experienced swimmers the opportunity to become junior coaches.

“We have several junior coaches who also swim for the team,” Isserstedt added. “They are all kids who have been on the team for several years and are now serving as junior coaches as well as swimmers.”

Coach Isserstedt is expecting a great summer season competitively, but she really cares more about her simmers and making sure each and every Hammerhead has an awesome summer on swim team.

“My major goal for the swimmers is to enjoy the experience and all that it entails,” Isserstedt said. “I think it is a very comprehensive summer event. They have the opportunity to compete, to meet new neighbors, to learn structure, to learn more about the strokes, and to improve their times. Hopefully they will return to the team next year, and as they get older that can assume a mentor role, become junior coaches or even swim for their school.”

Dacula Patch Team of the Week: Hamilton Mill Hammerheads!

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