Swimming
With every stroke, AFS Swimming fosters resilience, camaraderie, and a lifelong love of the sport.
Open to all interested students in grades 8 through 12, AFS Varsity Swimming trains at the nearby Abington Club pool with morning and afternoon practices during the winter season, from November through February. Coaches emphasize individual improvement, goal-setting, and team camaraderie in a supportive and inclusive environment. Dating back to the early 1900s, swimming was once a regular part of the School’s physical education curriculum. By the mid-20th century, AFS competed interscholastically, and in 1960, Susan Doerr ’64 earned a gold medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay at the Rome Olympics.
Make a Splash.
New and developing swimmers focus on technique—strokes, turns, and starts—while building endurance and confidence in the pool. Coaches emphasize fun, fundamentals, and team spirit, ensuring every athlete finds their place on the team.
Find your Stroke.
Swimmers refine form and race strategy in daily practices, gaining confidence through dual meets and relay opportunities. This stage emphasizes steady progress, camaraderie, and goal-setting, preparing athletes for Varsity-level competition.
Finish Strong.
Varsity swimmers compete in Friends Schools League meets and championships, balancing individual performance with team achievement. With school records, postseason honors, and a proud legacy that includes an Olympic gold medalist alumna, Varsity athletes carry forward the tradition of AFS excellence in the pool.
Program History at AFS
After a 40-year hiatus, AFS reintroduced Varsity Swimming in 2007, and the program has grown steadily in both participation and competitive success.
Both the Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls teams have made impressive strides in recent years. In 2022–23, AFS Varsity Girls Swimming set school records in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, finished with their best dual meet record in five seasons and placed 5th at the Friends Schools League (FSL) Championship Meet.
Since joining the FSL in 2007–08, AFS Varsity Boys Swimming has recorded multiple top-5 team finishes and produced standout athletes such as Sean Kirwin ’10, who still holds League records in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard Backstroke.