"How was the meet? How did you do?" Those were the first questions Eric Robinson asked his granddaughter as she walked through the door.

"I did great," was the quick reply, "I beat my best time by four seconds!"

Much later, Eric discovered that Larissa had come fourth or fifth in her event, but that didn't matter. She had beaten her best time, she had a lot of fun, and bottom line, she felt great about what she had achieved.

Today's column is not about one Neighbourhood Hero. It's about dozens ... board members, coaches, volunteers and parents, all supporting the swimmers that belong to the White Rapids Summer Swim Club and the positive philosophy behind it. It's also about those people no longer on the board or volunteering in other ways, people that, over the past 35 years, have made what's happening today possible.

In fact, it's about all those people across the provinces that are part of the BC Summer Swim Association.

"I was a little hesitant when we first got involved," Eric Robinson recalled, "because most sports are really competitive, Larissa was only 11 at the time, and she had never before been involved in sports. However, I very quickly realized that, with this swim club, although she was part of a team, she was mainly competing against herself."

Robinson couldn't say enough about the young coaches involved. "They have been so incredibly positive, it's made it a delight and a joy to be involved," he concluded.

"Whether a swimmer wins or loses," club president, Dr. Steve Beerman told me, "depends on who else is competing. Swimmers don't have control over that but they do have control over their own best time."

And what has Larissa got out of her summer experience? According to Robinson she has developed an excellent work ethic, learned that dedication and hard work gets positive results, experienced the power of teamwork, the importance of being punctual and most important of all, she has gained a great deal of self-confidence. The club also focuses on helping kids develop good leadership skills ... oh yeah, and there's a major focus on FUN.

Isn't this sort of reward kids and parents are supposed to get when they become involved in sports?

By the way, Robinson went on to talk about how the club's positive philosophy has spread to the parents. "There's no yelling or screaming from the stands," he exclaimed. "Everyone is really positive. It's a pure joy!"

Karen Conway, Vice President of the club says that in most other sports organizations, leaders are lucky to get 10% of the parents involved. However, at a swim meet organized by the club this summer, 630 kids from across the province participated and 80 of the club's parents were on deck for the weekend. That kind of response, she says, is not uncommon.

Club President, Dr. Steve Beerman stressed the importance of the work done by all those former volunteers that have kept the club going over the past 35 years. "We're a pretty well organized, sophisticate club," he said, "but a large part of the credit goes to those who came before us."

Beerman also talked about the contributions the club has made to the Bowen Park swimming pool, their home pool. Over the years, the club has paid for the diving board, a new roof on the changing rooms, solar heating in the pool, the showers and they also own all the equipment they use at the pool.

Congratulations are due to all the current, former and forgotten volunteers and swimmers who have promoted and supported this positive approach to the sport.