Club celebrates 60 years in the water
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For six decades, generations of young swimmers have jumped into the pool, learned new strokes and endured countless early-morning practices as participants in the Minot Swim Club. Established in 1965, the club celebrates 60 years of building swimmers into who they are, both inside and outside the pool.
Head coach McKenna Brown leads the year-round USA Swimming Association-affiliated program, aided by nine assistant coaches. The club has about 150 active members, ranging in age from 5 to 18. About 80 swimmers regularly compete, while others participate for exercise, to learn how to swim or simply because they enjoy being part of the club.
Brown, who swam competitively herself, said the lessons of swimming extend far beyond swim times and medals.
"Today our big lesson is sportsmanship," she said. "It's not only hard work. In my opinion, swimming is one of the toughest sports out there, but there's so much more behind the sport other than being in the water. It's about good sportsmanship, being humble and teaching these kids how to be good adults one day."
The club's structure allows swimmers to progress through different levels as they develop their skills. Younger swimmers can begin with lessons and build toward competitive swimming, while older swimmers can compete in increasingly challenging categories.
The program also gives swimmers opportunities to compete beyond Minot. The team has traveled to meets in places such as Mandan and West Fargo, with some swimmers competing at sectional-level meets and other high-level competitions outside of North Dakota.
The swimming pool at the new Minot North High School has also expanded what the club can offer. For years the Minot High School's facility has served as the club's home base, providing a 25-yard pool for the short-course season, but the new school was built with a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool.
The new facility's capabilities mean Minot can now host larger meets and welcome swimmers from outside the area. Brown said the club is hoping to host the 2026 state meet this fall for the short-course season.
For Brown, who moved to Minot from Phoenix while in middle school, swimming has been a lifelong part of her journey. She competed for Minot High School before going to college, where she swam for four years. After college, she returned to Minot and spent five years coaching.
"I have always liked working with kids," Brown said. "There's just something special about watching them try and try on something that maybe they're not successful on the first few times, but after they get it - just watching their face light up and you lock eyes with them across the pool and they give you a big thumbs up and a smile. It’s just such a proud moment for those kids."
That connection is one reason Brown said coaching feels especially meaningful.
"I've been in their shoes, and being able to watch it from the other point of view is so special," she said. "It's just fun to watch and be a part of their journey."
The commitment required of the swimmers is substantial. Practices run Monday through Thursday mornings and many swimmers return for evening practices. Some athletes balance swimming with baseball, dance and dryland training, which includes weights and agility work.
"Swimmers are just different breeds," Brown said. "It's a huge commitment to them, but it's worth it. They still stick around."
For swimmers such as 11-year-old Knox Ruby, that commitment has become part of the appeal.
Ruby has been swimming with the club since 2021. He particularly enjoys breaststroke and recently set an age-group state record in the event with a time of 1:27, improving on the previous mark by four seconds.
He said the coaches have helped him develop different skills and techniques, but swimming is also about the people around him.
"The hard sets are not fun, but it's fun how you get to suffer through the pain and you have the people who do it there with you who understand how you feel," Ruby said.
His younger sister, Raegann Ruby, began swimming about 4½ years ago after watching her brother.
"My favorite part about swimming is making new friends," she said. "You get to learn new things and it's fun. You can experience things that you don’t get to experience during other sports."
Twelve-year-old Declan Shirek has been swimming for eight years. A swim lesson instructor encouraged him to give the sport a try after seeing potential in him.
"I fell in love with it because of all the good people - all the coaches, the friends you meet and the different teams along the way," Shirek said. "It's a really fun sport and you get a lot of character in it and a lot of good personality out of it. With all the people - the friends, the coaches - you kind of open yourself up to everybody."
Fourteen-year-old Josiah Reiss said the physical challenge is another part of what keeps him coming back.
"I like it because I like feeling stronger and sore after each practice but also having friends to talk to,” he said.
The advice Raegann Ruby would give to new swimmers was simple: "Try your best. Just follow your heart and the path you want to go on."