Tracey’s a tonic for the Tigers

Tracey Parks has played sport for much of her spare time throughout her school and work days but is now kept too busy to actively participate herself because she is the hard-working coach to the Milford Tigers Swimming Squad.
It keeps her involved almost all week because the squad has training sessions of up to two hours every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then Friday (morning and evening). Not content with that little lot, she also takes what’s known as dry-side coaching in the Dance Studio on Thursdays – and on most Saturdays is away at swimming competitions with her daughter Ellie (9) and others from her team.

No stranger to The Meads

It means that she is in attendance at the Milford Haven Leisure Centre a great deal because she also works there as a duty officer for 37 hours a week, a work-place she started at almost straight from school 22 years ago and was previously a life-guard in the swimming pool before she was promoted, and where she still does the odd stint if holidays or illness means the staff are a little short.
So Tracey wasn’t a stranger to being involved in swimming but originally turned up to watch Ellie swimming under the guidance of Jill and Dave Davies, who did a great job. Then Dr Richard Thompson took over and was similarly good before he became too busy at work to spend so much time – and Tracey offered to take the Friday sessions only. From there it has blossomed to a heavy commitment but she is matter of fact about all the work she does because she clearly enjoys what she does.

Eager sporting participant

Tracey’s own participation in sport began at Milford Haven Central School, where she played hockey on the left wing before turning out for Milford Ladies for a while. But it was football that she loved best and helped form Milford United Ladies’ team with Harvey Thomas, playing for six years as ladies’ football really took off in the area. She also played for a very strong Tenby Ladies’ team for a season after that but the travelling was too much.
“Every match was an away match!” says Tracey with a chuckle.
Football is very much alive and kicking in the Parkes’ household because husband Steve has played for two decades as a good striker and still turns out for Milford Athletic whilst their six year old son Liam is already attending coaching sessions and loving every minute.
Tracey is a qualified ‘Level One Leaders’ football coach and regularly hold training session for over 20 youngsters from five to eight years old at the Meads, having qualified in Tenby at the same time as Steve Briers and Jerry Rigby, enjoying the hour-long sessions which have half the time devoted to skills and the rest in a game situation which the kids really love – and so does Tracey!

Enthusiastic approach

Back on the swimming front, Tracey retains her enthusiasm, despite the hours, and makes sure that her young charges develop nicely, without being pushed hard and with short-term, but attainable goals. A training session involves a warm-up period of up to 32 lengths and then sets of 100 metres in the range of strokes that is made up of front crawl, breast stroke, back stroke and butterfly so that youngsters can eventually complete in the individual medley involving all four disciplines. Warming down at the end of the session is another vital feature of Tracey’s work.
The 70 to 80 youngsters in her care are aged seven to 16 and the dry-side sessions in the dance studio are used to build upper-body strength and as well as ‘bleep tests’ (which the kids love) they utilise large medicine balls and other equipment that actually makes the sessions good fun. Tracey has complaints from the older girls about ruining their nails but she is young enough to understand their problem and finds that a gentle bit of leg pulling goes a long way to getting them to forget that particular problem!

Swimmers breaking through

As well as Ellie, both Yale Grice and Ryan Beckerleg are already doing well in competition and others are beginning to make the break through to a higher level.
“We also encourage beginners and have intermediate groups so there is swimming for everyone and how far they go depends on their skill and willingness to work, plus a commitment from parents because it is a lot of work.”
Ask Tracey how long she intends maintaining her stint at the Tigers and she says,
“I’ll be there for as long as I enjoy it and I get the right backing from the kids and their parents. It is a help having Ellie involved but she gets treated no differently from the rest and I want, above all else, for it to be fun for all the youngsters as well as hard work. They are a good crowd at the Milford Tigers and I always give it my best shot.”
You only have to look at Tracey Parks at pool side; encouraging, cajoling, shouting instructions and sharing humorous moments with children to see that she does just that!