Black Mountain swim team builds champions
Stingrays claim first Tarheel Swim League title
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 3, 2022
Beth Rathbone, founder and head coach of the Black Mountain Stingrays, holds the Tarheel Swim League Championship trophy, which her team won for the first time this summer. Photo by Fred McCormick
Nine years ago, Beth Rathbone was determined to bring a competitive swim team, open to children of all skill levels, back to the Black Mountain Pool. When the program launched in the summer of 2014, success in the pool was not determined by wins or losses.
“We wanted these kids to know that you should finish what you start, and that’s what makes you a winner,” she said. “No matter how tough and ugly things get, you have to keep fighting, and if you push through, it will pay off.”
As the Black Mountain Stingrays celebrated their first Tarheel Swim League Championship, on July 30, those words rang especially true for hundreds of local children.
“It feels amazing,” Rathbone said of the team’s first conference title. “We have kids who have been on this team from the beginning, and seeing the result of all the hard work they’ve put in over the years makes me so happy for them. These kids earned this.”
The Stingrays joined the Tarheel Swim League, which includes programs from McDowell County, Granite Falls, Forest City and Valdese, in 2013, and 50 swimmers from Black Mountain competed in the team’s first meet the following summer.
The program, operated by the Town of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department, hosted approximately 200 children, ranging from ages 5 - 18, this summer.
“Beth is very invested in these kids, and the pool itself,” Recreation and Parks Director Josh Henderson said of the head coach and Black Mountain Pool Manager. “It’s evident in the incredible work she’s done, and that's been the driving force behind the continued growth of this team over the years.”
The enthusiasm of Rathbone and assistant coaches Daniel Little, Sarah Kramer and Grace Quam has made the swim team one of the town’s most popular youth programs, Henderson added, and the Stingrays’ contributions to the community go well beyond their ability to win championships.
“We would not have been able to operate the pool the past couple of years without them, because every single one of those lifeguards and pool employees are from the swim team,” he said. “What we’ve seen with this program is kids getting involved with this team at a young age before going on to work at the pool. It’s given a lot of them a sense of ownership and accountability within the community, and that’s another thing Beth deserves a lot of credit for.”
Few swimmers represent the team’s impact, in and out of the pool, like Chloe Little. The Owen High School graduate was among the state’s top 1A/2A swimmers in the 100-yard breaststroke in 2021-22.
Her competitive swimming career, which she will continue this fall at Campbellsville University, began in the local team’s inaugural season and finished with a conference title.
Chloe Little began her competitive swimming career with the Black Mountain Stingrays eight years ago. The Owen graduate, who will swim at Campbellsville University in the fall, led the Stingrays to their first conference title this year. Photo by Fred McCormick
“That was a great feeling,” Little said of winning a championship in her final season with the Stingrays. “We originally thought we would finish second in the conference, but when we found out Granite Falls came in second, we all went wild. It will always be one of the best memories I’ll have with this team, because we all got to share the experience of seeing our hard work pay off.”
Little, who mentors younger and less experienced teammates, led the Stingrays in points in 2022. She was one of three junior coaches who were awarded scholarships during an Aug. 1 awards ceremony at the pool. High school-aged swimmers seeking the funds, which are raised through the teams annual swim-a-thon, are required to submit a 500-word essay and sit before a panel of judges.
“It’s more than just swimming,” she said. ”I’ve learned so many life lessons and skills from this team. I’ve developed an understanding of soft skills, leadership and so many other great things that I’ll carry with me forever. But, the most important thing I’ve learned is the value of a team. Your teammates will help you get through some tough times, so lean on them.”
Little’s advice for her younger teammates is also based on lessons she’s taken away from Rathbone and her coaches, which include her father, Daniel.
“Invest in yourself, and put the time in to be better,” she said. “Also, invest in relationships, take care of yourself and focus on becoming better. You’ll achieve your goals.”
Rising sophomore Grace Vale, one of many Stingrays who also swims for the Owen Seahorses, placed second among the 15-18 age group in the conference championship. Her seventh season with the Black Mountain program has been a turning point in her swimming career.
“I dropped a good amount of time this year, and I’ve started to get more involved in helping the younger swimmers,” she said. “I want this sport to play some part in my future, and that’s something I’ve learned during my time with this team.”
The Black Mountain Stingrays began competing in the Tarheel Swim League in 2014. Eight years later, the team has become the largest in its conference. Photo by Fred McCormick
Vale credits Rathbone for being a consistent source of motivation during her time in the pool.
“She’s always there when I need her, and I call her my ‘aunt,’” Vale said of her coach. “She’s an amazing person and I don’t know if I would have stuck with this sport for as long as I have under a different coach.”
Gilly McCubbin, age 10, joined the Black Mountain Stingrays for the first time this summer because she enjoyed being in the pool. One season with the team boosted her confidence in the water.
“Coach Beth is always encouraging us to do our best,” she said. “When I started, I wasn’t a very strong swimmer and couldn’t even do a turn in the water. But, by the end of the season I could tell I had gotten a lot better.”
First-year swimmer, 10-year-old Jack Blackstone, was “pretty bad” at the sport when he signed up for the team, but he was eager to sharpen his skills in the pool.
“I had never really tried the different strokes, so I didn’t have any practice when I started,” he said. “I couldn’t dive at all before this season, and every time I jumped in I just flailed. Now, I can dive off the block really well and I’ve gotten more comfortable with the strokes.”
While the swimmers are encouraged to work hard in practice, the support they receive from their coaches, teammates and others involved with the Stingrays play an important role in the family-like atmosphere surrounding the program.
Approximately 200 children competed for the Black Mountain Stingrays this summer, as the team captured its first Tarheel Swim League title. Photo by Fred McCormick
“We see these kids start at a young age, and it’s such a rewarding experience watching them put in the effort to get better every time they’re out there,” Rathbone said. “Now, after eight years, we’ve built this revolving door where kids who have been swimming here for years go on and compete for the high school, and colleges, while our younger kids are ready to step up to the next age groups.”
The model is what Rathbone, who was a swimmer with conference rival McDowell County as a child, envisioned when she re-established the Black Mountain program she used to compete against in her rec league days.
“We wanted to bring something to the Swannanoa Valley that helped teach kids the value of hard work and determination,” she said. “This is a sport that always gives you a chance to push yourself, because you’re working to improve your own time. These kids are learning that if they want to achieve something, all they have to do is work hard.”