David Edgerton is the brand new President of the Weyburn Silver Seals Swim Team.
He moved with his family to Weyburn in 2008. Relocating from Edmonton, his family wanted to live in a smaller community, and he and his wife enrolled their two kids in speed swimming in 2009.
"We began as parents getting our two kids involved [in swimming], and it actually turned out to be one of the best summers because we got involved in the swim meets and our kids were competing. We traveled all around the province going to the swim meets, and then we made the holidays out of it."
Edgerton explained that if they had a Saturday swim meet for example, they would go to Rosetown, Humboldt, or Swift Current, and tour around the province and sightsee and do some camping as well.
"It became a culture that we really embraced."
He said that as time went by, he got more and more involved with the swim team, including taking courses to be able to officiate at the meets.
"At our swim meet in Weyburn, it takes about 120 volunteers to make that swim meet happen. When it's a provincial year, it's a two-day meet and that takes a lot more volunteers, we could get up to 150 or 160 volunteers, and we rely on the parents of the kids to do that sort of thing. "
He eventually took a position on the board to help out, which progressed from being a member at large to the vice-president.
"I was vice-president for quite a few years. Twyla Molnar, she was the president for, I think it was the last six years, and did a very, very good job."
Edgerton said that Molnar was interested in taking a step back, and so that put him into the position to move into the presidency. "It's kind of like attrition, right? Whoever leaves, you fill in the gaps " he said.
His role as president involves organizing, including meetings, and Edgerton is the interface between the Weyburn Silver Seals, Swim Saskatchewan, and Swimming Canada. "You have to have a very, very good board of directors and the club is only as good as the board," he said.
"When I was younger at University," Edgerton shared, "I actually didn't swim. I used to be a competitive fencer. I did that for eight years and was the captain of a couple of fencing teams."
He said that he got more involved in the coaching aspect of swimming, and he enjoys seeing the kids develop year over year. "Everyone has a certain amount of talent or a certain skill and it's the responsibility of the coach to observe that and to make that the most successful session for the kids."
All of your effort is for the kids, not for yourself, he said. "You want them to have a great experience."
Edgerton added that he's technically proficient at running a swim meet, and he travels around the province, holding three sessions in other parts of the province, teaching other meet managers how to run a meet.
"I'm involved in that sort of aspect as well, in conjunction with Swim Saskatchewan. So there's time involved there helping other clubs get their meets going and that's great."
"I would just say to parents, you know, a lot of people say, well, I'm too busy to volunteer. Everyone has free time; I'm busy and I have free time. It's a very important thing for the kids, the whole focus of these clubs is on the athletes."
The summer swimming season starts the week of May 1st, 2023.
Edgerton is also the President and Head Coach of the Weyburn Hurricanes Water Polo Club.