Here we go!

KYD Gen 3. What does that mean? Well, I'm starting my tenth year coaching the Keene Dolphins and there have been two distinct eras since I started in 2016. 

The first era, from 2016–2020, was primarily about rekindling this team into the competitive force it was 20 years ago. In 2016 KYD joined USA Swimming and started traveling to meets outside of New Hampshire. Megan joined shortly after I started. We created 3 training groups. We saw immediate improvements in performance and immediately improved the retention of the older swimmers. Prior to this, older swimmers would migrate to a satellite of the Greenwood swim club which practiced at the Keene State pool and was coached by Jack Fabian. 

The second era, from 2020–2024, was all about the pandemic and recovering from that. That era was challenging, but we learned a lot about resilience and patience. We experimented. The entire global swimming community made a leap and broke some old bad habits particularly concerning training volume.

So, here we are at 2025. Nine team records were broken this year. We made a huge splash this summer in our first full summer program in 23 years. We're a true year-round team. We have launched our first, scheduled and supervised Kinetix program(dryland) for the Juniors and Seniors. This is essential for not only strength training but, injury prevention. Laurie Whippie, a Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutritionist will be leading this program. KYD Gen 3!

We're adopting a new motto: Everybody Swims, Everybody Races. We're planning on growing the team from the bottom up. We'll be expanding the Junior Dolphins program and bringing more, new swimmers to our home meets. We want to give more kids the opportunity to compete. If you know kids who love the water and are athletically inclined, send them our way! KYD Gen 3!

New suits! We're not renewing our sponsorship with Arena. That brand makes the best tech suits, but they clearly don't target younger swimmers. (There are five items on the Arena website in the Youth Apparel category.) 

We'll be wearing a Speedo suit this year. Make sure to follow the Speedo fit guide. Speedo suits are usually sized smaller than  Arena. This particular suit is comfortable, fully-lined and a good value: $46 Girls / $39 Boys at SwimOutlet(member price).

Here's the new pattern/colorway:

This is the Pro(back) version of this suit with wide straps which offers a better fit for competing; higher cut on chest and better distribution on shoulder straps. Your coaches prefer this style for training and competing. There is a thin strap version which is acceptable. Reminder—swim suits that have tie straps are not allowed at practice starting September 8.

The men's suit actually has a print and isn't all black with a small splotch of color!

Practice Schedules have been posted.

Season Fees are largely unchanged. The new Kinetix program and extra hour of practice for the Gold group results in an 8.5% fee increase. The Silver group sees a 4.5% fee increase with Kinetix. Our fees are competitive with other teams in the region. I do an analysis every year. Frankly, with what we offer, we're the best value in the region.

A good deal of our season's big meets have been entered into the Calendar. This data will get updated as it becomes available. I check the New England Swimming calendar every day. Literally.

Registration is open today, August 6. KYD Gen 3!