Highlander Swim Team Looks To Make A Summer Splash

Competitive program aims to increase Park Cities participation 

Jason Pullano wants year-round competitive swimming in the Park Cities to be the norm, not the exception.

Launching the Highlander Summer Swim Team will give athletes in Pullano’s program at Highland Park High School access to consistent training for 12-15 weeks when they would ordinarily have a gap.

However, he also wants to generate interest in the sport among younger children who aspire to someday follow in their footsteps, providing a more robust feeder of sorts for the Blue Wave varsity squad.

“If we want consistent talent coming into our program, we can’t rely on training those ninth graders who have never swam before,” Pullano said. “We want to get to that third, fourth, or fifth grader who has never done organized swimming before. We want to get them hooked on aquatic sports then and there.”

Pullano’s concept met with enthusiastic approval from HPISD, which will host the inaugural program beginning June 2. High school coaches and swimmers will provide the instruction.

“It started by saying, what opportunity can we provide our high school athletes? But we thought, let’s widen the net that we cast and provide a program for the community,” Pullano said. “We’re trying to make sure that our focus is instilling a love of a lifelong sport.”

In the first year, Pullano hopes to attract up to 60 swimmers across all age groups ranging from grades K-12.

The eight-week program will consist of workouts four days a week at the HPISD natatorium, plus competitive meets on select Friday evenings in Frisco. Depending on age and skill level, the focus will range from competitive training to aquatic safety and fitness.

“Some families are looking for something that their kids can be involved in throughout the entire summer,” Pullano said. “If you’re a kid who just really enjoys an aerobic workout, who wants to work hard, there’s a spot for you on this team.”

Pullano said similar models have proven successful in cities such as Frisco, Rockwall, and Southlake, which have seen participation numbers grow — along with quality and depth of talent — at the high school level as a result.

“We’re trying to make decisions that are going to help us get to that point,” he said. “I didn’t want this to be a side hustle. I want this to be major part of our aquatics programs here at Highland Park.”