Choate’s Adaptive Swim Program is starting up again for the Spring term. The Adaptive Swim Program helps local citizens with mental disabilities enjoy taking a dip in the pool. According to Phil Risman ’08, however, the program does much more than that. “We build a tight community that cares and loves to spend time with the special needs people who attend the program. They [those with special needs] get to laugh and have fun and enjoy a night in the pool with different company who are there for them and enjoy spending time with them.”
The program has existed at Choate for nineteen years and is run by Mary Pashley, the head of Community Service. According to Ms. Pashley, the program is a collaborative effort “between the Wallingford Parks and Rec. Department, the Mental Retardation Department and Choate Rosemary Hall.” The Adaptive Swim Program “brings together residents living with disabilities” and Choate students with a passion for volunteering. The students help the attendees have a good time in the Choate pool under safe, supervised conditions. To ensure that this is done effectively, Choate students are given a tutorial on behavioral patterns in the pool and proper safety precautions they should take. Students are paired with special-needs citizens on a rotating schedule.
This year’s program usually has between 15 and 25 Choate volunteers each week, but Ms. Pashley says that it can always use more. The swim-program runs from 7:30-8:30 pm each Thursday in the Fall and Spring, and community service hours are given to each Choate volunteer.
Though the program has been around for years, Adaptive Swim is a new name—the program was known as “Special Population Swim” for many years. Ms. Pashley said that she is encouraging the transition to the new name. She says this change is somewhat difficult to realize because “Special Pop” is a nickname many have become accustomed to. She feels, however, that “Adaptive Swim” is a more fitting title and describes the nature of the program better.
As student coordinator, Risman’s job is, as he says, “to raise awareness of the club and to attract students to come.” His duties also involve coordinating swimming pairs, and ensuring that anybody in need of assistance is taken care of.
Risman explained, “I also am responsible for knowing every special-needs person….I find out what [these people] like to do and what their specific problem is so that Choate volunteers knows how to work with them.”
Risman said that the program is a great experience for students as well as participants. He said, “[The program] gives them a perspective that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten about some people who are less fortunate and gives them a chance to give back to the community by engaging and having fun with some people who really enjoy it and don’t always get to have these interactions.”
Participating also helps students to get to know specific participants. For example, “James is always talkative, [and] loves to mingle, swim, and flirt,” Risman said. “Steve is always very friendly. He comes every week with a smile on his face, and likes to play catch and swim laps.” Ms. Pashley adds that the special-needs swimmers are often the same people who attend the Adaptive Skate program.
