Once a Torpedoes swimmer, always a Torpedo.

Some of the former youth team members who got their feet wet with the town’s swim team before working their way into becoming competitive high school athletes are back at the pool helping teach future NHS team members on the Torpedoes’ summer team.

The squad of girls and boys ranging in age from 8 to 15 and varying ability levels, practices outside at Treadwell Park throughout the summer. On July 9, the Torpedoes visited friendly rival Rock Ridge Country Club for a meet under beautiful blue skies (see results in related story).

The Torpedoes are led by instructors Mopsey Seaver and Natalie Barden, both Newtown High Class of 2020 swimmers who were part of the Torpedoes’ program when they were younger.

“I love it. We have a lot of fun. I love working with the kids,” Seaver said.

Seaver added that it is a great feeling when swimmers make strides in their learning process.

“Seeing all the kids learn to swim, it’s really rewarding,” said Seaver, adding that with the older and more experienced team members it is about “refining strokes and teaching mechanics.”

“I love seeing how much they improve,” Barden added.

On top of getting a new perspective of youth swimming, Seaver sees how much goes into the program behind the scenes and said she has a lot of respect for past coaches.

In addition to head coaches Seaver and Barden are Assistant Coaches Peter Horan and Connor Kwarcinski, current swimmers at Newtown High.

Rick Irving, a volunteer helping out this past week, is another former NHS swimmer preparing these up-and-coming freestylers, backstrokers, breaststrokers, and butterfly specialists. Irving typically coaches the 9/10 and 11/12 age groups. His younger brother, Sam, is a current Torpedoes’ swimmer.

“I love coaching the younger kids because there is so much reward in getting them out of their comfort zones and watching them grow even over a short period of time. I was a Torpedoes swimmer for pretty much my whole childhood so it’s awesome to be able to give back to the team,” Irving said.

Newtown Parks and Recreation sponsors the Torpedoes, which also has a winter team that practices and competes at NHS. According to the Parks and Recreation Summer Brochure: Swimmers learn the fundamentals of swim competition and proper stroke and turn techniques in the summer program. They must be able to swim 25 yards and must have knowledge of the various swim strokes.

By the time they get to high school in the coming years, some of these Torpedoes will be excelling in the events Seaver, Barden, Irving, and other coaches performed well in — and maybe they will be part of another wave of Torpedoes’ program coaches, keeping the tradition going.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.