Alan Swanston Classic 2023 Recap

The Newmarket Stingrays hosted the first Stingrays hosted meet of the 2023-2024 season at the Magna Center where 137 Stingrays Swimmers represented the club. 

Three years ago, the meet was named after Alan Swanston who is the mastermind in the success of the Newmarket Stingrays, a club that grew from about 35 swimmers to more than 200 ranging from ages 5 to 18, novice to Olympian. Alan is the longest serving head coach in any sport in Newmarket history!

Special thank you to all the people who made this event happen. Some honorable mentions:

Coaches: Thank you for your dedication and relentless support 

Board Members and other Administrative Leaders: These people spend hours and hours to make sure competitive swimming opportunities continue. This is in addition to the time most spend at meets, practice, and other swimming activities.

Officials: Who not only spend countless hours at meets (often missing their own child’s race.) But, also spend extra time developing skills and deepening their understanding of the sport.

• Meet Managers and Club Operations Team: They juggle what often feels like a three-ring circus!
• Safety Marshals: The front-line officials who enforce the boundaries and receive repercussions from those who don’t like being told no.
• Admin Officials, Awards, Recorders & Electronics: They process results and address the challenge of sometimes temperamental hardware, software, equipment, and people.
• Hospitality Team: These folks accept the mammoth job of keeping coaches, officials, and other meet workers fed, watered, and/or caffeinated. They also arrange to get all the food, drinks, and supplies to the venue at the right time.
• Runners: Who aid the admin process amassing miles along the way!
• Timers, Strokes judges, Referees, Starter, Set-up, Clean-up Teams: Thank you to the many officials who get out of the stands and onto the deck to help.
• Photographers: Thank you for capturing these memories!