Childs Takes Over NHS Girls’ Swim Team

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ swim team has a new head coach as Matt Childs succeeds long-time leader Mary Atkinson who left NHS for a guidance counselor job at Joel Barlow High in Redding during the offseason.

Childs may be new to the team but he’s anything but unfamiliar with the pool and swimming at NHS. Childs is in his seventh year of coaching at Newtown High, but this is his first with the girls’ team after guiding the boys each of the past several winter seasons.

“It’s really exciting. So far it’s been great,” Childs said prior to a preseason practice this week. “I’ve been having a blast. It’s sort of refreshes me.”

The coach added that the girls have been highly receptive to ideas for refining strokes and improving their swim times.

The biggest strength of this team, Childs believes, is the depth it has with 44 girls on the roster.

“We have a lot of girls on the team and a lot of girls who can swim a large number of events,” said Childs, adding that the depth will strengthen the team’s relay performances.

Among the 44 team members are seven divers, giving NHS a strong diving contingent among area schools. Some teams, the coach points out, have just a couple, one or no divers.

This year’s senior captains are divers Kaitlin Hunt and Abby Peck, along with swimmer Colleen Carroll. Other key team members include sophomore Kelsey McEvoy, junior Maggie Atkinson, seniors Meghan Baylis and Katie Fragoso

Among Newtown’s most notable losses from last season are graduates Kat Donahue and Lauren Sudbey (diver), along with now junior Leah Barrett who is not swimming this fall.

While some of the swimmers change from season to season the toughest competition is expected to remain the same with the hardest tests expected from perennial powers Pomperaug and Lauralton Hall.

The goals for this year, Childs said, are to get the maximum number of swimmers and divers (four) qualified for each event in the South-West Conference Championships.

He wants as many girls as possible to be involved and contributing come the postseason.