Berkeley Rec Swim Program Gets Under Way This Week

A strong turnout of 120 swimmers have been training hard in the Berkeley Recreation swim program that opens the Shore Summer League after the July 4 holiday.
"The majority of our high school kids are working out," coach Steve Stout said. "We want to keep them in the water."

Stout co-coaches the team with wife, Cindy. The couple started the program 12 years ago. They also coach the high school boys and girls teams which both won Shore Conference B South titles. The Stouts credit that success to time spent in the off-season, including the work in the Berkeley Rec program.

"It's been second nature for them," Steve Stout said. "About 90 percent of them started as little kids in this program and they keep coming back. The awareness of our program has gotten around by word of mouth."

The eight-team league includes two from the Ocean County YMCA, two from the Metedeconk River Yacht Club, two from Toms River Recreation and another from the Toms River Yacht Club

Stout has been in a personal sprint since last November. He started swim practices and then went right into the high school softball spring season and coached Central Regional's girls into the quarterfinals of the Ocean County, Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments in a 14-win season.

Christian Giglio, who is headed to Ocean County College after a superb high school career punctuated by a Central Regional school record in the backstroke, swam in the Berkeley Rec program and has come back this summer to help out.

Evan Mahoney also has been swimming in the program. The rising junior at Central Regional High School still works out with the Berkeley Rec team but has been concentrating this summer on preparing for the highly competitive YMCA nationals long course championships with the Ocean County Y team. Mahoney holds a number of school records in freestyle and breaststroke.

Steve Stout said the youngest levels have grown, especially over the last few years when more than 100 swimmers overall participate each year. The youngest 5- and 6-year-old swimmers get the necessary attention to develop their competition talents with a staff that includes former Central Regional swimmers Lauren Stoltfus, who also is an assistant coach with the high school girls team, and Amy Hrabel. The Nycz sisters -- Brittany, who swims for Ocean County College, and Courtney -- also are on the staff along with Brianna Morris.

Swimmers are divided into five different age groups: 6 years and under, 9 and 10, 13 and 14 and 16 to 18.
They get a full introductory lesson on the competitive aspects of swimming and learn the competitive strokes as well as the turns and starts.

The older swimmers not only are from Berkeley but from the sending districts for the Central Regional school district, which also includes Ocean Gate, Island Heights, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. Home meets are held at Ocean County College.

For more information on the program, contact the Berkeley Township Recreation Office on Route 9 in Bayville or call 732-269-4456.