For two weeks every June, Golden Eagles swimmers and their head coach, Bree Kelly, can be found at the Tippin Natatorium. That’s their usual habitat, but they aren’t there in their usual capacity – they’re leading Swim Camp for competitive swimmers ages 8 to 18 who want to improve their skills and technique.

The two week-long camp sessions run Sunday through Thursday. The campers stay in Valley View Suites and have three meals a day at Eagle Commons.

Each day comprises two swim sessions that focus on a different aspect of swimming – the four strokes, turns, starts or kicking – as well as conditioning and swim training, and one classroom session when Kelley teaches creating a positive mindset, nutrition, goal setting and the importance of sleep and recovery.

Campers are divided into two groups to accommodate the size of the camp and provide more individual instruction to each camper.

"The PennWest Clarion swim camps provide young athletes with a balance of fun, learning and hard work,” said Gavin Guckavan, counselor and Golden Eagles swimmer.

Each evening, Kelley and the camp counselors – nine of her current Golden Eagles swimmers – host an activity for the campers.

“My favorite part of the camp is the activities we do every evening with the campers,” Guckavan said. “After a long day of hard work, the campers get to let loose with a pool party, movie, sports or game night." 

The camp concludes with a mock swim meet in which the campers choose two or three events and a relay in which to compete.

“The goal is to have the campers showcase the skills and technique that we worked on over the course of the past week at camp,” Kelley said.

The campers learn, but so do the counselors. Kelley said the counselor experience allows the Golden Eagles swimmers to see the other side of coaching and all that goes into running a camp, and it gives them a platform to work on their leadership and coaching skills.

"Being a counselor at the Pennwest Clarion Swim Camps for the past two years has helped me grow and increase my knowledge about the sport, just like the campers experience,” said Golden Eagles swimmer Zoey Beck. “I have gained more confidence as an athlete and coach from these camps, and I can tell the campers have, too.”

Kelley said it’s the counselors who make the camp so special and successful.

“They have made such a positive impact in these campers' lives that campers come back year after year, knowing some of the same coaches will be here,” she said.

Megan Fenske, 16, of Clarion, has been coming to camp for five years.

“I personally gain a lot from this camp because of the knowledge about swimming coming from Coach Bree and the college swimmers,” Fenske said. “It is an amazing opportunity to gain knowledge and techniques about the sport. I really enjoy and take advantage of all the classroom work we do, like focusing on nutrition and having a positive mindset.”

“It is a crazy-busy long week but 100% worth it,” Kelley said. “The feedback I have received from parents and campers over the years tells me that we are bringing a program to the community and beyond – some campers travel five hours to be here – that is well received and extremely beneficial to many,” Kelley said. 

Over the years, she has had swimmers who have had such great experiences at the camp and on campus that when it came time for them to choose a college, they chose Clarion.

Swim Camp serves as a fundraiser for the swimming and diving program, supplementing both scholarships and operating budgets.