With previous announcements that the Gabrielino High School 2025-26 swim season would be canceled, the swim team’s biggest advocates gathered community support to turn it around so they could continue the Gabrielino swim legacy. With that, the 2025-26 swim season is back on, thanks to community support that pushed for solutions to this obstacle.
In previous seasons, the swim team struggled to find qualified coaches, leaving administrators and students to fill in gaps to work out logistics and streamline operations. This meant athletic directors and team leaders had to take up extra roles and responsibilities to compensate for the lack of coaches. With this persistent struggle, the administration considered the cancellation of the 2025-26 swim season.
However, students and parents collaborated with administrators. With cooperation from the administration, open positions were advertised on various platforms, and connections were utilized to find two qualified coaches. Assistant Principal Kevin Murchie corroborated, “There are certain channels you have to go through, and as you go through that, you’re hoping it triggers a response.”
Murchie expressed his thanks to students for advocating and pushing for the swim team. “I want to thank the kids for being passionate and doing things they did to try and make that happen. All of that needed to happen in order for us to find these coaches.”
Senior Archie Lai expressed his persistence in cooperating with the administration to rebuild the swim team. “I went to the board of education and spoke before them and tried to advocate for more support and bring awareness.” As a result of this effort, advocacy pushed for solvency and brought more attention to the issue.
Junior Lorelai Hughes also worked alongside other swimmers, senior Ryan Leung and junior Chloe Tan, to advocate. “We all worked together in communicating to create a petition,” Hughes said. By creating petitions and addressing these issues to the school board, the students tackled their concerns head on.
With the swim team up and running, students and the administration are excited to see what the new season has in store. The swim program is consistently successful, being named second in the league and competing at CIF in the past year. However, swimmers express that it’s more than just an activity — it’s a community.
Hughes expressed her excitement. “I’m really excited for the traditions like going to Mt. Sac and doing secret sisters. I’m just really happy that we’re our little community again.”
This activity doesn’t just give people a chance to swim — it gives them a chance to connect with others and grow as individuals. Being such a special program, it’s at the heart of profound friendships and personal growth. If there’s one thing about the swim team, it’s that they’re going to keep swimming.
