Since we last spoke with SwimSwam in 2014, we were three months into our mission of ‘Leveling the playing field for Cincinnati’s inner-city swimmers’. During that season, we sponsored four swimmers in Millvale, Cincinnati’s smallest and poorest neighborhood. All four completed the season, making it one of the largest teams to compete for the Millvale Marlins at City Finals to date.
Since then,we’ve raised enough funding to sponsor two pools and increase our investment into each swimmer. We have also changed our mission to ‘Establish a foundation and provide the tools for Cincinnati’s inner-city youth to build and maintain suitable life skills through the sport of swimming.’ Our goal as a nonprofit is for these kids to use habits taught our help to overcome the tremendous obstacles in their way.
Why the name “Lane 8”? Historically, the swimmer in lane 8 is the underdog of the race. This swimmer either had the slowest seed time or the slowest prelim time in a meet, thus giving them the worst odds of winning the race. Much like the guy or gal in lane 8, the kids we sponsor are seen as underdogs by lacking the simple essentials for prototypical success in life. While the odds aren’t in their favor, the swimmer in lane 8, does not have the excuse to give up. They have a lane a lane that is the same length and width as every other lane. Our biggest goal as a nonprofit is to apply this as a metaphor to life. While the road to success for a Lane 8 swimmer is paved with many more potholes, hills and detours than other kids, they still have a life. They still have an opportunity. Our Lane 8 swimmers do not pity themselves. Instead, they adapt.
In our third season, we now sponsor both Bond Hill and Millvale Pools and still hold true to our motto of “earned, never given.”
There are no hand-outs with Lane 8 – or senses of entitlement. In return for the suits, caps, goggles, towels, bags, shirts, shorts, pool memberships and school uniforms, we expect attendance at least four of five practices a week. Additionally, we except respect for coaches, teammates, opponents and themselves, as well as participation in an annual neighborhood clean-up. The kids learn that nothing in life is given. Every accomplishment must be earned and every opportunity must be capitalized. Swimming is arguably the best sport on earth to teach this lesson. In sports, many things can go your way, but at the end of the day, the clock does not lie. It is what makes swimming the perfect platform to teach these life lessons.
With a high school graduation rate of 38% and 22% for the Bond Hill and Millvale communities, respectively (1), these life lessons need to be taught and sharpened now. These numbers, although unfortunate and true do not mean all kids have to follow suit. These are just two neighborhoods that reflect thousand throughout the United States, some better and some much, much worse. The silver lining is statistics are always subject to change. We can change numbers such as these by eliminating the apathy they may see in their future and replacing it with pride and grit.
We look forward to continuing to make the most of our donors’ investment in these kids and potentially changing a life for the better.
- Source: 2010 Census
Swimming news courtesy of Lane 8 Fund.
Yeah, there are still poor kids in inner cities but many have moved to the older suburbs since gentrification has driven out the price of housing in the inner city.