The Allen County-Scottsville High School swim teams will have a new face
poolside this season. Mitch Clark, a former coach at Bowling Green and
Hopkinsville and a longtime coach in the USA swimming amateur program, has been
selected to lead the rising Patriot and Lady Patriot swim program.
Clark’s coaching resume is extensive, starting with past success at the high school level.
“At Hopkinsville, we had a team that finished in the top three in the state and the Bowling Green teams were in the top 10,” Clark said. “I also coached USA swimming and have had kids reach the nationals.”
USA swimming is the body that oversees the sport of swimming nationwide.
USA swim promotes the sport by overseeing over 2,800 swim teams through local
clubs throughout the nation. Core objectives for USA swim are to build the base,
promote the sport, and achieve competitive success.
Most recent, coach Clark has worked with the Southern Kentucky Swim Club in Bowling Green. According to the club’s website, coach Clark has “been involved with swimmers of all levels” and “coached swimmers who have set Kentucky state records in every age group as well swimmers who have qualified up to the Senior National level.”
Last summer. Coach Clark “retired” from coaching but choose to return to lead the AC-S program. His hopes for his new team will be in line with the USA swim goals---increase participation numbers, promote swimming, and help the Patriot and Lady Patriots improve times and placements in region and state competition.
“My goal is to get everybody to improve with their times,” Clark added. “With that, we will be better than we were last year. I know last year that AC-S had a swimmer who just missed swimming in state so my goal will be for him to reach state. I would also like to see us have some relay teams reach state. I also know we have some younger kids that are fairly good and have talent. I want to see the team improve. I’ll start with individuals. I also like relays so we will be looking at that. We want to move up with our standing in the region.”
AC-S returns several swimmers with varsity experience as well as sports
a group of seventh graders that achieved success in CORE and USA swimming
competitions. Clark hopes new faces will emerge as well.
“We would like 30 swimmers if we could get them,” Clark added.
Clark will be meeting his new team this week (Tuesday, September 24, 5:30
p.m., high school library) to organize plans for practice starting in October. Potential
new swimmers are encouraged to attend the meeting. The season will commence in
November with meets schedules until early February. Region and state championships
will cap the season in late February.