TBAY Develops Champions In and Out of the Pool

Julia Lamb, Arbor Greene’s TBAY lead swim instructor, nudged a team of precocious New Tampa swimmers through a late-morning workout from the pool deck of Arbor Greene’s Community Center.

“One lap of regular breaststroke," she called out. "Please remember to touch the wall with two hands."  

Formed in 2009, the Arbor Greene division of Tampa Bay Aquatic’s (TBAY) swim team has introduced newcomers to the sport and fine-tuned champion swimmers for collegiate competition. Lamb, a New Tampa resident and l swim coach, started the local program, leveraging Arbor Greene’s natural resources and parental support to build a serious player in Tampa Bay’s hotbed of amateur swimming.

“Arbor Greene is a great facility. The residents have been excited and enthusiastic about the program,” said Lamb.

TBAY is actually one, big swim team. Comprised of seven regional locations, spreading from New Port Richey to Lakeland, the teams train in individual pools, and under different coaches. But when it comes to competition, TBAY is a collective force in Florida swimming. 

“Bigger teams win meets,” said Lamb.

However, TBAY is more than just about winning races. 

The bigger team concept has residual benefits. Swimmers meet other area like-minded athletes, creating lasting friendships based on their passion for the sport. And, instructors can pool their knowledge – sharing techniques and training regimes with some of the best minds in the business.

As a USA Swimming – the National Governing Body for the sport – registered program, TBAY offers classes for different ages and different skill levels. Taking an early-lunch, summer dip in the Arbor Greene pool? You’ll find Coach Lamb working out her Pre-Competitive Group, ages 6 through 12, swimming for pleasure, not records. 

Consistent with TBAY’s developmental credo, this organized pool party “focuses on technique and having fun. They learn the basics and get good exercise,” said Lamb. The 18 enthusiastic participants are also under the watchful eye of TBAY assistant, Alex Richardson. 

A University of South Florida student, and decorated amateur swimmer, Richardson was drawn to the mission and prestige of the TBAY squad. “We’ve developed a close-knit team,” said Richardson. He will be coaching ’s swim team this fall. 

With basic training completed, Lamb and Richardson returned to the pool in the evening to coach the heart and soul of TBAY swimming: the Junior and Senior Competitive Groups – some of the fastest swimmers in town.

Buoyed by Olympic medalists, Brooke Bennett and Maritza Correia, Tampa has long been considered a cradle of U.S. swimming. TBAY continues that tradition with heavyweight talent and expert coaching, producing elite talent and college scholarships. Lamb’s latest success story is freestyle specialist Katie Cook. Tampa Tribune’s Swimmer of the Year, Cook was a prized, national recruit. She’ll swim for Florida State in the fall. 

Lamb admits all recruiting roads lead to TBAY – not high school.  “When someone contacts me about a swimmer, it’s a TBAY swimmer,” she said.

The Competitive Groups at TBAY log long hours in the pool, perfecting their strokes and conditioning in a sport ruled by split seconds. At this level, the TBAY competitors and coaches celebrate small victories. “Getting them to the next step, seeing the excitement on their faces is the most rewarding,” said Richardson. 

The discipline and dedication required to dive in the pool and push harder – while their friends are still sleeping – translates into the classroom, too. Lamb boasts of her team’s IQ, ensuring “they’re smart kids.”

“My goal, for all my kids, is for them to swim in college, if they want to,” she said.

The Community Center pool is heated and cooled, allowing the Arbor Greene TBAY team to train year-round. More recreational swimmers can opt for the summer-only program, and adults can tap Lamb’s expertise with private lessons. The enthusiasm surrounding Lamb’s TBAY team is reflected in the numbers. She now instructs more than 100 swimmers and has a waiting list for non-Arbor Greene residents.

Lamb is a fixture in the Tampa swim community. She has grown with TBAY, having worked with the regional squad since 2001. A New England native, Lamb came to Arbor Greene from Hunter’s Green Tennis and Athletic Center where she was head coach and Aquatic’s director from 2001-2009. She has overseen the development of nationally ranked and top state swimmers. And entering her fifth-year as the Wharton head coach, she can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I like watching the kids become athletes, progressing through the sport. I have one girl who has been with me for 8 years,” she said. 

And as Lamb streamlines another pre-teen’s freestyle form, it’s obvious her vision is bigger than times and records. After all, TBAY develops “a love of the sport, something they can do forever,” Lamb said.

More Information:

Website: http://www.tampabayaquatics.com
Address: 18000 Arbor Greene Drive
For class, schedule, and instructor information, visit the TBAY Arbor Greene link.