Sharks make a splash

St. William CYO swimmers break records, win title

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Harrison Gorman, a 17-year-old from Massapequa, was part of St. William the Abbot’s record-breaking freestyle relay team at the Catholic Youth Organization of Nassau and Suffolk swim championships, held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center on April 5. But Bill Marra, the coordinator of the Seaford parish’s swim program, said that Gorman used to hide in the locker room before practices and meets, afraid to jump in the water. 

“The big thing back then was, ‘Where’s Harrison?’” Marra recalled. “He’d cry. He turned into not only an outstanding kid, but also a great swimmer. We stuck with him and he stuck with us, and that’s all we can ask for from our kids.” 

Founded in 1991, the swim program takes in St. William parishioners from Seaford, Wantagh and Massapequa. Coaches and parents noted not only the team’s success — it has captured the CYO Division B title in two consecutive seasons — but the fact that members also develop a passion for athletics, their church and community service. 

Marra, a longtime parishioner, has been a coach for the St. William Sharks since 1992. He said that the program continues to grow, noting that 189 children between ages 7 and 18were on the team in 2016-17. All swimmers must be parishioners at St. William the Abbot or St. Frances de Chantal, in Wantagh, which does not have a swim team. 

The Sharks compete against CYO teams from 14 other parishes across Long Island. Organized by The Rev. Gerald Ryan under the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the CYO of Nassau and Suffolk serves 24,000 athletes. According to the organization’s mission statement, CYO coaches should encourage young men and women to develop their knowledge, skills and love for sports as they strengthen their character and develop self-confidence.

Marra said that St. William CYO coaches stress three things: learning how to swim, having fun and succeeding in competition. However, he said, the latter isn’t what’s truly important. 

“We will try our darndest to win championships, but at the end of the day, we really just want the kids to learn how to swim,” Marra said. “We are on an island — we are surrounded by water. A good portion of the parents have boats, and a lot of the kids have pools at home. I want to be able to say that if any one of my kids was to fall in the water, they’d be able to survive.” 

Olga Gorman, Harrison’s mother, said that her three sons all learned to swim from St. William coaches. Harrison went on to join the varsity team at Massapequa High School. 

Harrison said that swimming for St. William allowed him to make friends from schools such as Wantagh High School, in addition to getting exercise. Olga said she loved that the program was so family-oriented, adding that teens will volunteer to help their younger siblings and their friends develop skills. 

“They all encourage each other,” she said. “But they can also get in that pool and block out everybody. They can swim for themselves for a better time. And there’s the thrill of competition as well. They just light up when they’re doing well.” 

Olga met Kristin Glaser, of Seaford, through the Sharks. Like Harrison, Glaser’s son, Owen, broke a CYO record at the championship meet this year (see box). 

Owen, 13, and his sister, Olivia, 11, are students at Seaford Middle School. Kristin noted that because Seaford High School does not have a swim team, the St. William and club teams were the only options for her children. She said she admired her kid and their teammates, especially with their hair freezing when they stepped outside after December and January practices at the Hofstra University and Lindenhurst High School pools. 

Kristin and Olga said that the Sharks’ championship win was surprising because they captured the title by earning points in the last several relay races. The record-setting freestyle team, comprising boys who have been in the program for most of their lives, was in a tight race at the meet’s end. 

“It was very hard from the stands to see how it was going to fall out,” Kristin said. “I thought we were shooting for third. The championship came down to the last couple of races, but it was kind of nice that it happened that way because no one expected it and everyone went crazy.” 

Team members celebrated the victory at their annual potluck dinner, a tradition that Marra said brings families from the parish community together. Marra and the coaches distribute what they call the Long Distance Award to teens who have stayed in the program from second grade through high school at the end of the season.

Many of the swimmers become lifeguards at Jones Beach and Hempstead Town pools, Marra said. They are also encouraged to give back to the community, creating Easter baskets for families in need and holding food drives throughout the season. 

Marra cried when describing how he has known many of his swimmers since they were infants. “When they first come in, they’re babies,” he said. “They progress so much within our program and then swimming for other teams. It’s the kids’ team — I just have to push them in the right direction.”