NON PROFIT
CHRISTINA TASCON
Kadence Weaver is fitted for her Treasure Coast Swimming Club cap on her
first day as a member at the pool in Vero Beach.
St. Lucie Public Schools - Highest Ranking
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naturally. From nervous hand-over-hand creeping along the
pool’s edge they are soon doing back-flips and flip turns.
“These kids are starting at ground zero, but it is our mission
to extract as much potential as we can,” said Barlow.
“Some will just be happy to be on a swim team and come
to practice but we are hoping others will gain full benefit of
what the sport can give them.”
And because of Title lX, a law that requires schools to
designate equal funding to women’s scholarships as men’s,
women-dominated sports scholarships are more readily
available. Powers is not just offering the children a sport
which teaches them discipline, team bonding gives them
confidence and a sense of self-worth. Swimming also offers a
possible way out of poverty through scholarships to schools
that they normally could not afford or even consider.
“Jeff has really been the grand marshal of making this happen
and bringing all entities together,” said McClain. He’s
done a spectacular job of coordinating the whole thing —
funding, meetings and getting things together and also in firing
people up and getting them excited about the program.”
Powers doesn’t care about the accolades, his mission is to
get children in the water so they can have the same life-improving
benefits as his son.
“We, as an organization, are trying to take kids, some of
whom have faced great adversity, many who are from single
parent homes, and what they all share is a lack of resources
to be able to swim,” said Powers. “We are giving those kids
a chance so by the time they go to high school they are able
to walk into school as a student athlete; they know who they
are; are proud of themselves, and have a sense of confidence
that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
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