CENTER TWP — Suffice to say, David Bocci takes to water.

The 11-year-old Center Township resident virtually owns the Butler YMCA swim team record book for the 8-under and 9-10 year-old age groups. This year, he will compete in the 11-12 age category.

“There’s a misconception that swimming is an individual sport,” his father, Butler High swim coach Dave Bocci, said. “David understands that it’s a team sport.

“He pays attention to how everyone is doing. He’s interested in how the other kids are doing. He wants to lead by example. That’s why he’s such a hard worker.”

Bocci owns eight of the YMCA’s 10 individual records in the 8-under category. He owns 10 of the 13 individual records at the 9-10 level. He’s snapped three of eventual United States Olympic swimmer Eric Namesnik’s 9-10-year-old marks — the 100-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke and 100-yard individual medley — that had stood since 1981.

He also broke the 9-10 50-yard freestyle record set by Bobby Barkus in 1997. Barkus saw the event in 28.28 seconds. Bocci did it in 27.80.

“That was one of those records everyone figured would stand for a very long time,” Bocci’s father said of the Barkus mark.

Bocci himself isn’t phased by his awards. He doesn’t marvel over them or brag about them.

“It’s all just part of the fun,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Bocci isn’t solely a swimmer. He plays guard in elementary school basketball. He’s played every position on the field in Center Township baseball.

But swimming is his favorite sport.

“I like the team building and having fun,” he said.

Bocci has accumulated plenty of medals and trophies through his accomplishments in the water, including at the YMCA state meet at Penn State and competitions in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bocci’s uncle, Jim Bocci, is CEO and coach of the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, the biggest swim club in the Cleveland area. More than 300 kids swim for that organization.

“We’ve gone over there and put David in some of their meets,” Bocci’s father said. “Those experiences have helped him, too.”

Coach Bocci isn’t into any prognostications about where swimming may lead his son. Breaking records held by an Olympian “is a great achievement, to be sure,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean anything long range.

“You can never tell in swimming. We don’t know how tall David’s going to get, how his body will play out that way, or if this will remain fun for him over the long haul.”

He did say that his son will have to choose his direction in sports when he’s a freshman in high school.

“That’s about the time you have to commit,” Bocci’s father said. “David is very athletic and if he opts to pursue baseball, basketball or something else, we’ll have no problem with it.

“Pretty much all sports transcend seasons now. Kids have to pick what they want and go for it because that’s what kids at North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and other schools are doing.”

If Bocci does stay with swimming, his father sees him as a leader of the high school team down the road.

“We’ve have some outstanding individuals come through the swimming program here,” he said. “We haven’t had the outstanding team thing happen yet.

“Because David cares about the other swimmers he’s coming through the system with, he could be a leader toward changing that and emphasizing the team concept.”

David Bocci plans to stay with swimming. And he looks forward to being coached by his dad.

“He’s already helped me a lot with technique and my strokes,” David said. “Breaking (Namesnik’s) records, I feel like it’s a big accomplishment.

“I just want to keep getting better. The backstroke is my best stroke, so it’s my favorite stroke.”