Summer swim league welcomes new coach

The Columbia Falls summer swim team will see a changing of the guard this season. Mike Nelson, who coached the team last season, has stepped down.

This year, the team will be coached by Diedre Loyda, with assistance from her husband, Pete.

Loyda grew up in Wisconsin and swam competitively in high school and at Marquette University. She has coached swimming for 20 years, including the Wave Ryders in Whitefish from 2005 to December of 2011.

Loyda lives in Kalispell, and Pete is the principal of Swan River School. They moved to Montana several years ago to be closer to Loyda’s family.

The Wave Ryders is a longer program where swimmers compete in a league with indoor pools. The swim league in Columbia Falls is part of the Montana Federation of Swimmers, a summer-only league that sets limits on practices. Meets are in open, outdoor pools in small towns across the state.

Columbia Falls will host the state meet this year in August. The meet typically draws hundreds of swimmers from across Montana each year.

Loyda said she will focus on recruiting swimmers for the next month and half.

“We would love to get up to 80-90 kids,” she said. “If you can doggy paddle across the pool, we’ll take you.”

The summer league is a developmental and fun program in many respects. It’s not uncommon to see young swimmers who can barely keep their head above water at the beginning of the season.

“There’s a tremendous amount of joy watching them develop,” Loyda said. “It’s a good life skill.”

The season will begin with dry-land training in May. Swimmers will hit the water in the beginning of June, first at The Wave in Whitefish and then in the Columbia Falls pool on June 11. The state meet on Aug. 4-5 will mark the end of the season.

Swimmers and parents interested in the program can call Loyda at 309-2294 or the swim team president, Courtney Babcock, at 270-0141.