The CD’s Central Area Aquatics Team (CAAT, “cat”) gets a sidebar mention in this month’s Seattle Met magazine. The feature profiles head coach Lisa Dahl, a nationally-ranked swimmer, who leads CAAT’s diverse team of coaches and swimmers.
One goal of Dahl and the other CAAT coaches is to encourage a love of swimming among kids from under-represented groups. The article explains:
BLAME THE COST of swimming lessons—about $100 a month—or a historic lack of access to pools in black communities. But nearly 70 percent of African American children do not know how to swim. The unsurprising result: Black youth drown at a rate three times that of whites.
Lisa Dahl, a world-class swimmer turned coach, has made it her mission to change this. First by reciting the grim numbers to anyone who will listen. And then by arranging scholarships for young swimmers who join her Central Area Aquatic Team (CAAT).
As noted earlier on CDN, CAAT offered their “Get Wet” introduction to swimming earlier this spring. Youth can join at any time, however, and scholarships are available.
This is a great program. Thanks for the story. I wonder if CAAT has plans to add masters team to their program. (A good source of support and volunteers for the youth program!) : )
Just got word that Former CAAT swimmer BJ Johnson has made it to the B final of the 100 Breast tonight at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. The Olympic Trials are on NBC tonight at 8 p.m. For those of you who don’t know BJ–he is a former CAAT swimmer that swam for Stanford. His name is all over the CAAT record board.