GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

At the Y, our JETS Swim Team not only provides opportunities for youth to develop swimming skills, it supports the personal growth of children in the program, builds a welcoming community, and strengthens family bonds like those of Village of Shorewood YMCA members Autumn and Chris Crescenti. 

Autumn, a senior at Minooka High School, has been a proud member of the JETS since 2017. Her father, Chris, has also been an integral part of the JETS family, serving as Concessions Chair on the JETS Parent Advisory Council (JPAC) for the past five years.

Chris said watching Autumn progress from YMCA swim lessons into competitive swimming has been incredibly rewarding.

“When I think back to when she started swimming, she would cry when she would put her head back in the water. Only a few years later, she was making the Y state cut in backstroke. I’m proud that very quickly after she joined the team she was taking it seriously,” he said.

Autumn’s prowess in backstroke hasn’t been limited to impacting her own pursuits in the pool. She also serves as an age group coach for the JETS, offering guidance to kids ranging from ages 5-14.

“As a swimmer, sometimes the workouts make you go ‘ugh,’ but now that I’ve been coaching, I see why we do them,” she said. “And what I remember most about when I first joined the team is that the coaches would make sure we were having fun. I think that’s really important as a coach because you really need to connect with the kids. It makes them enjoy coming to practice.”

Autumn added that the JETS go above and beyond to make sure swimmers feel welcome and build positive relationships with their teammates. 

“The team does a really good job of doing activities outside of just swimming to connect us. We go on an annual Indiana Dunes trip where we go hiking and have fun with each other so it’s not just practice,” she said.

Chris said that the JETS ability to foster community is also reassuring for parents.

“The Y is the right fit because on other teams you can tell it’s purely competitive and the focus is only on winning meets. For the Y team, while very competitive with very good swimmers and coaches, that’s not the only focus. I think it gives a little more flexibility to kids. It’s also one of the more affordable programs. Anybody can swim with the JETS. If you can’t afford to do it, the Y offers a way for kids to swim through its scholarship program,” he said.

And, whether through lending a hand at the concession stand or helping time swimmers at meets, Chris said parent volunteers remain a core component of the program’s continued success.  

“In getting involved with JPAC, I’ve learned how important volunteering is to the team. And though I know as a parent sometimes you can be a little scared going into volunteering, we’re always here to help the next generation of parents. There’s nothing we haven’t seen. We can point the new parents in the right direction,” he said.

In so many ways, the JETS have offered a way for families like the Crescenti’s to build memories that last a lifetime.  

“The fact that we’re always together makes it really fun. The environment of swim meets is really fun too. You get to cheer for your teammates and compete at a high level,” Autumn said. 

“We have really good coaches and I think as a whole, the families and kids get along very well. I would recommend it for kids of any age who have an interest in swimming,” Chris said.

We are so proud to have Autumn and Chris in our Y community and we thank them for their continued service in support of the JETS. 

If your child is interested in joining the JETS Swim Team, there is still time to register for the team’s upcoming clinic at the Village of Shorewood YMCA:

Dates: August 31-September 2

Times: 5-6 p.m. (Ages 6-10) and 6-7 p.m. (Ages 11-17)

REGISTER ONLINE

Cost: $25
To learn more about the JETS, please contact Director of Competitive Aquatics Dave Hedden at [email protected].