What makes someone swim faster? Is it wearing clothes over your swimsuit? Is it dressing up like a superhero? Is it shaving your head? The Boothbay Region YMCA Dolphins swim team decided to explore all of the above in the spirited week leading up to the Maine YMCA State Swim competition, held Feb. 27 through March 1.

Since early October, the Dolphins have been meeting regularly to build skills and confidence in the pool. For some swimmers, that meant learning the fundamentals. For others, it was about refining technique and racing strategy. With 29 swimmers ages 7 to 16, the team is a lively mix of personalities, experience levels, and goals. Across the season, volunteer coaches guided the group, Lenore Imhof, Emily LeGree, Ed Tsuzuki, and Scott Yeoman, all under the enthusiastic direction of Head Coach Conxa Packard. Together, coaches and swimmers shaped a program rooted in strong technical development and the kind of character growth the Y is known for: showing up for one another, working hard, and celebrating progress.

The week before states was packed with themed days designed to build team spirit and help swimmers manage pre-meet nerves with a little joy mixed in. Monday was “clothes over your suit” day. Tuesday was “Buddy Day,” when older and younger swimmers paired up to talk through race-day excitement and work out any jitters. Wednesday brought Superhero Day. Thursday was Spirit Night, and that is where some of the real fun happened.

The evening began with a pasta dinner, along with fruit and desserts, giving swimmers and families a chance to connect outside of practice. Three stations filled the room. At the arts-and-crafts table, swimmers and parents decorated dolphin cutouts with encouraging words and messages for the weekend ahead. Notes ranged from “Go, go Dolphins!” to “Dolphins rule the pool!” Another table became a manicure station, stocked with over 30 bottles of nail polish in every color imaginable, for swimmers who wanted a little extra sparkle to show their team pride. The final station honored a Dolphins tradition: the pre-states head shave, said to bring good luck and maybe even shave a little time off the clock. Four swimmers bravely took the leap and said good-bye to their luscious locks. 

The state meet took place at Colby College in Waterville, and of the 29 Dolphin team members, 17 competed. The Dolphins represented the smallest team in Maine, but their effort and heart were anything but tiny. Over the weekend, the team posted 20 personal-best times. About half of the Dolphins swimmers placed in the top 15 in the state, and five swimmers qualified for the New England YMCA Championships.

Coach Conxa Packard reflected on what stood out most: “I was blown away by their ability to perform at their best under every circumstance and the fact that they supported and cheered each other on despite, often, having their own race right after their teammates.”

That support was visible in the stands, on the deck, and in the quiet moments when swimmers encouraged one another between events. It was a powerful reminder that at the Boothbay Region YMCA, success is measured in more than times and places. It is also measured in teamwork, resilience, and the confidence that grows when young people know their community is behind them. 

And who knows, perhaps the haircuts did help shave off a little time from the swimmers’ events. Either way, the Dolphins showed what it looks like to race with courage, cheer with generosity, and represent the Boothbay Y with pride.