The sport of competitive swimming proves to be unlike any other experience an athlete can take part in. To excel in swim, an athlete’s mind and body must be fully committed, as they spend countless hours in the water. This year’s freshmen on the Texas High TigerSharks dove straight in and learn more each day about what it really means to be a swimmer.
On Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, the TigerSharks held their annual intersquad meet, now known as the Orange and Black meet. This year, the meet prepared a large freshman class for the world of swimming.
“The purpose of the Orange and Black meet is to get a gauge on the start of the season, to see how we need to prepare for the remainder of the season,” head coach Eric Vogan said. “I believe we are on track to have a really good season.”
The young TigerSharks need a support system that encourages them to do their best for the good of themselves and the team. The upperclassmen on the team recently filled this role.
“As team captain, I’m going to help lead the freshmen by setting a strong example of our work ethic and practice attendance,” senior Jackson Adams said. “I’ll also be very encouraging to help them develop into strong swimmers.”
In comparison to other meets, the Orange and Black meet serves as a much more relaxed meet, and ultimately gives new swimmers an opportunity to pivot away from the comfort of typical routines to introduce the competitiveness of high school swimming.
“Orange V Black is set up as a scrimmage, but it’s more than that. It’s kind of a launch pad into our season for experienced swimmers and new swimmers alike,” assistant coach Susan Likins said. “For the new swimmers, it’s really their first taste of a true competitive environment. It shows them that this isn’t just fun and games anymore. It’s time to get serious about their training and step up for their team.”
The Orange and Black meet serves as a wake-up call for new swimmers. Because this is the first meet many of the freshmen attend, they learn a lot of lessons about the effort required to be a swimmer and what they will need to put forward to be successful.
“I learned that I really need to improve to fill the void that the seniors will leave when they’re gone,” freshman Cason Hanson said. “I feel pretty prepared for my first swim season. I’ve put in so much effort to get better, [and I] try my hardest at every practice [to] get help from the seniors on [improving] my form.”
