Flying Fish stress team building as they head into the City Meet

On June 29, Daniel Island Flying Fish coach Rose Van Metre focused on building esprit de corps by having the team attend a Charleston RiverDogs game.

 

“It was a lot of fun,” said Van Metre, who also coaches the Bishop England High School swim team while being a goodwill ambassador for the sport in the Lowcountry. “We enjoyed it and did a lot of fun things. We were able to parade on the field.”

 

On July 6, Van Metre and the Flying Fish will focus on winning their third consecutive City Meet championship. The swim meet will be held at the North Charleston Aquatic Center and will feature more than 800 area swimmers. The youngest age groups will compete in the morning, and the older swimmers will showcase their talents in the afternoon.

 

The potential of three city championships in a row might have been hard to comprehend when the Flying Fish debuted in 2004.

 

“We’ve always had good teams over the years,” Van Metre said. “To be honest, I thought we would always be a top five program. But to have a chance to win it for a third straight year is pretty amazing.”

 

The Flying Fish always had heart; they were just short on numbers, and depth was an issue when the Flying Fish competed against the biggest and the best of the Coastal Carolina Aquatic Association.

 

But that changed in 2023 when the Flying Fish sent shock waves throughout the league when they unseated the Snee Farm Swim Team as the City Meet champ. Snee Farm entered the 2023 championship with eight city swim meet crowns in a row.

 

Last summer, The Flying Fish repeated with a 3,112-2,725 victory over Northbridge Terrace. Snee Farm was third with 2,526.5 points. 

 

Today, Hafner, who is majoring in engineering at Clemson, is one of Van Metre’s assistant coaches.

 

Van Metre said one of the highlights of every season includes the Mega Meet, which has been around for 15 or 16 years, Van Metre said. It is for the youngest of the Flying Fish, and one of the first swimmers to compete in the Mega Meet was Justin Hafner.

 

Last summer, Hafner won his first city swim individual championship, claiming gold in the 50-meter freestyle to conclude his 14th year as a Flying Fish.

 

Today, Hafner is one of Van Metre’s assistant coaches.

 

“We have kids come to us when they are five or six years old,” Van Metre said. “By the time they are 11 or 12, they might play another sport. But those who stay will have success. They also are role models. A younger swimmer might see an older swimmer on the island and say, ‘I want to be like them.’”

 

The Flying Fish has a cast of impressive alumni. In addition to Hafner, Zoe Dewitt was a member ‘24 team.

 

She attends the Air Force Academy while her brother Quinn graduated from High Point and is in graduate school at CSU. 

 

Quinn Dewitt is also an assistant coach this year along with Lizzie Kelsch and Maria Atwood.

 

The Flying Fish went 4-2 this season and performed well, Van Metre said. The team lost to Snee Farm and Hobcaw.

 

“We got better over the season,” Van Metre said. “We also learned along the way.”