Desperately seeking retired athletes: P.E.I. artistic swimming club needs coaches, judges

Prince Edward Island's only artistic swimming club is looking for anyone who has taken part in the sport to come back and lend a hand as a coach or judge.

The Charlottetown Naiads have a waiting list of families whose children want to join the program. While they were hoping to start a new novice team, they don't have anyone to coach it.

"We're not able to grow, even with the interest that we've had in the sport, because recruiting coaches has proven to be difficult," said Treena Hann, president of P.E.I. Artistic Swimming, the sport formerly known as synchronized swimming.

Becoming a coach is an extensive process involving the sport's national governing body, Canadian Artistic Swimming, said Hann. "So without having a swimming background, it's very tricky to be trained as a coach."

"We're looking for any past swimmers that may be on P.E.I.," she said. "The population has grown. There could be new swimmers out there that are living on P.E.I. that we don't know of, that would love to come back to the sport."

Hann said if past swimmers can't come back to coach or substitute coach, the group is also looking for judges and officials.

The Naiads have 13 competitive swimmers, with 24 more in AquaGo — the feeder program to the competitive level.

Many of the current coaches are past swimmers, and have been with the club for many years, she said. They have also reached out to former teammates.

"A lot have come back in a judging capacity, which is less of a time commitment. It's a couple of times a year — come out and give the girls some feedback and then host a couple of competitions."

Hann, who has a 13-year-old daughter in the sport, said parents have been very supportive, volunteering to help in other ways. Some even tried to