COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Swimming has selected 48 up-and-coming athletes and seven coaches to participate in USA Swimming’s 10th Annual National Diversity Select Camp, to be held May 5-8 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The purpose of the camp is to instill a vision of success and inspire athletes from ethnically under-represented populations to become leaders in the sport of swimming. Swimmers nationwide are invited to the highly competitive three-day camp, which includes pool training, motivational and education sessions and team-building activities.
The entire list of camp participants and staff may be found at: http://goo.gl/GHfqFx. 20 states will be represented and alumni of the program include American record holder in the 100-yard freestyle Simone Manuel (Stanford Swimming).
“National Diversity Select Camp is one of the highlights of the year. What these athletes build over the three days at the Olympic Training Center carries over for the rest of their lives,” said Juan Caraveo, USA Swimming Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. “We look forward to working with such a high achieving group for a weekend of technique training and leadership development.”
Originally created in the 1990’s as an Outreach Camp, the Diversity Select Camp was renamed in 2006. The camp hosts swimmers between the ages 14 and 16 and selection is based on times swum at USA Swimming sanctioned events. Each athlete selected for the camp will be provided complimentary room and board at the Olympic Training Center, ground transportation in Colorado Springs and full airfare to Colorado Springs.
The goal of USA Swimming’s National Diversity Select Camp is to:
- Empower athletes from ethnically under-represented populations
- Demonstrate the viability of multicultural success in swimming
- Achieve performance excellence at every level of the sport
- Expound the benefits and value of participating in the sport of swimming
- Assist in recruiting more swimmers and coaches from diverse ethnicities to the sport of swimming
- Be positive leaders and role models that others from multicultural backgrounds can emulate
The camp staff is comprise of accomplished multicultural coaches and managers from across the USA and include a head coach, four assistant coaches and two managers.
Anthony Nesty, Assistant Head Coach of the University of Florida’s Men’s Swimming & Diving Team was chosen to be the Head Coach for the National Diversity Select Camp. Nesty is one of the most decorated swimmers in Florida history and is currently in his ninth season as an Assistant Head Coach and 18th as a member of the Gators’ coaching staff.
“It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen as the Head Coach for the National Diversity Select Camp and I’m looking forward to this opportunity with great anticipation,” said Nesty. “It’s important that our communities see the tremendous opportunities available to them in our sport and it’s my hope that the techniques and concepts that they learn, they will extend into their communities.”
Swimming news courtesy of USA Swimming.