Boys and girls played in Nansemond Swim Club’s pool on a bright summer morning. There was more than simply splashing about to this playing, though, as South Eastern Virginia Aquatics (SEVA) coaches brought a weeklong Stroke Clinic to the pool.

Some of the swimmers are already SEVA competitors, said SEVA lead age group coach Tim Mousetis, some swim for the Nansemond Sharks, the Western Tidewater Swim Association team that calls the Eclipse pool its home. Some of the kids aren’t competitive swimmers with any club.

Cassie Hamilton is a SEVA swimmer year round and a Shark as well during the summer season.

“I’m learning when to breathe, and that your big kick is your last kick,” Hamilton said. “When you have to breathe, you should take a small kick, then your next kick should be a big kick.”

Wednesday was butterfly day at the clinic. Each of the first four days focused on one of the four competitive swim strokes. Friday will be for starts and turns.

“It’s good having a diversity of levels out here,” Mousetis said. “The better kids can give the newer kids a visualization of what we’re describing and everyone’s learning better.”

SEVA, based in Newport News, or the Sharks could pick up a couple new recruits from the clinic. Creating more swimmers and interest for the sport all the way around is a main goal of the week, though.

“Really, the whole purpose is to increase the interest in swimming more out into this area, into this neighborhood,” Mousetis said.

“We keep it pretty simple with the kids. We focus on two or three things each day. We don’t want it to be too much. We want everyone to feel they’re really learning something,” Mousetis said.

Hamilton set a new league record in the 9-10 year-old division, swimming the 25-meter butterfly in 16.62 seconds, during the Shark season in the Western Tidewater Swim Association earlier this summer.

“I’m not that good at the backstroke and breaststroke. I’ve broken my ankles before, so with the breaststroke it’s sort of weird when I kick,” Hamilton said.

“My only month off is August. Then SEVA season starts in September, and my birthday’s in September,” Hamilton said.