Being a student athlete at any college can be a big commitment, and for many students, it is not the path they want to take in college.

However, this does not mean that students have to give up their love of being on a sports team. For co-president and swimmer Emma Rose, Mercer’s club swim team is a way of keeping active without pressure.

“It is an open environment for people who want to learn,” Rose said. “I believe it is a safe space.”

The swim team practices every week, but maintains a close and chill atmosphere.

“We have a lot of jokesters on our team,” Co-President Sydney Hanna said. “It lightens the mood which makes it a lot easier because swimming is typically an isolated sport.”

The team competes in roughly three tournaments per semester. In the spring, the team will compete in Nationals with some swimmers who have already qualified.

“You get out what you put in,” Rose said.”You encourage everybody, and when someone does well, you celebrate in that.”

Anyone can join at any time during the school year, and the team has swimmers of all skill levels.

“We like it if they know how to swim,” Rose said. “However, there are opportunities for them to learn.”

The team recently competed in a meet at Georgia Tech with teams coming all the way from Cincinnati.

Their next meet will be next semester. For more information on how to join, visit their Instagram, @mercerswimclub, or their website.