mers Developing Great Swim and Friendships By: Stephen Haberkorn
eKalb County is lucky to have a great year-round competitive swim program that is afďŹ liated with the Kishwaukee YMCA and the DeKalb Park District. The DeKalb County Swim Team (DCST) was started in 1980 when the YMCA team, the DeKalb Park District team and the Kishwaukee Country Club teams were combined. While many champion swimmers have trained with the DCST over the years, perhaps the best thing they have developed is a familyfriendly environment that has connected thousands of families and produced many lifelong friendships. The DeKalb County Swim Team trains and competes primarily in the Bickner Aquatic Center in the Kishwaukee YMCA. The facility, which was built in 2000, contains an 8-lane, 25-yard competition pool with ample room for spectators. DCST currently has about 150 kids from all around DeKalb County and beyond, including swimmers from Dixon and Byron to St. Charles and Geneva, and from Caledonia and Marengo to Hinckley and Waterman. These young swimmers have an amazing level of commitment to their sport, with many of them training for hours every day. One of the team’s most-successful swimmers currently is 11-year-old Gage
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