Freedlander Swim Meet provides a chance for past swimmers to reunite
This blast from the past photo is one of many pieces of memorabilia former participants in the Wooster Parks and Recreation swim team program can expect to see during a reception at Wooster High School on Saturday, June 30. The reception is free, and people are invited to bring along their favorite memories and memorabilia from their swim days.
Many years ago Chuck Malta served as the head coach for the Wooster Parks and Recreation swim team. During that time he coached many youth including a trio of youngsters: Frank Sebul, Barth Smith and Patrice McLaughlin-Smith.
Now decades later the four still get together at Freedlander Park for early morning swims.
Those types of relationships are what has taken place time and again during the past half-century at Freedlander Park.
An upcoming reception celebrates the 50th annual Freedlander Swim Meet where swimmers both young and old can reunite and share memories.
Malta began his coaching career in 1975, and the trio of swimmers were under his tutelage in his early years. He said those types of relationships have blossomed for so many people over the years that they wanted to create a venue where former swimmers and coaches could reconnect.
“It will be a fun time of sharing old memories and catching up,” Malta said.
The reception, which will take place at Wooster High School in the commons on Saturday, June 30 at 7 p.m., will provide food and beverages, but what the committee putting it together would really like to see come into the event, aside from the many people happy to share their own memories, are old pieces of memorabilia from the early swim days, like newspaper articles, medals, trophies, photographs, swimming gear and more. Malta said one person is bringing an old sweatshirt that has all kinds of swim patches on it.
“The hope is that we will see a lot of old memories from throughout the decades that relate to the swim club and the annual swimming meet,” Malta said. “It’s fun seeing all of those old memories.”
Two former local swimming legends will be on hand to share their experiences. Pat O’Brien, who served as the very first head coach of the swim team in the late 1960s, will be there, as will Barb Anderson-Hummel, a former Wooster native back in the 1960s who actually qualified for the Olympic trials.
In addition to the reception, anyone who would like to take an early morning dip at Freedlander Park before the main event starts is invited to join in the early-bird dip on Saturday, June 30 or Sunday, July 1.
“From 6-7 a.m. we are inviting any old swimmers to stop by Freedlander and go for a swim,” Malta said. “Even if they don’t want to swim, we invite them to stop by and say hello. It is just one more chance to reconnect with one another since a lot of us haven’t seen each other for years.”
The reception and the swim are free, and anyone who has old memorabilia they would like to bring is invited. Anyone with old newspaper articles or other material they would like to bring to the event are invited to stop by the Wooster Parks and Recreation office to have them copied.
As for the main event, the 50th annual Freedlander Swim Meet hosted by the Wooster Recreation Swim Club will take place June 29-30 and July 1 and will feature hundreds of talented swimmers who hope to make their mark in the aquatic world.
The meet will feature swimming events for both boys and girls with various age brackets competing against one another in freestyle, individual medley, fly, backstroke, breaststroke and various relay events.
Freedlander Pool is 50 meters long, heated and lit with 10 seven-foot-wide lanes featuring Kiefer Competitor nonturbulent lane markers.
The meet will feature timing with Daktronics electronic judging and timing system with touch pads, backed up with Daktronics push-button system.
What makes this event unique is it is one of only a handful of meets featuring a long 50-meter pool. In addition it has accumulated a half-century of incredible memories, which is just one more reason the meet has continued to be such a success for so long.
Malta said the event draws thousands of spectators who surround the facility to witness these young athletes perform.
“It’s quite the spectacle, and it features a lot of really talented swimmers from many states and even Canada,” said Malta, who has been to nearly all of the 50 events. “It is really fun to watch, and it is unique because Freedlander Pool is outdoors. Over the years we have had up to more than 700 swimmers competing in a year. Usually that number is between 500 and 700, and it takes a great deal of work to put on such a monumental event, but it is worth it because it truly is a one-of-a-kind meet.”
There is excellent spectator viewing including hillside bleacher seats. There are spacious, adjacent parking areas and a scoreboard that has event and heat number lane, place and times listed.
These young swimmers are the tops in their field and should put on a fantastic show for the spectators who enjoy the fast-paced drama of swim meets, where winners are determined by quick turns and fingertip finishes.
There is no registration required for the reception at Wooster High School or for the morning swim.
Anyone wishing to participate simply has to show up and enjoy the memories and fellowship.
Freedlander Pool is on Buena Vista Drive, Wooster.
If anyone has questions about the reception, they may call Malta at 330-621-8054 or Larry Smucker at 330-316-0763.