What would hot fun in the summertime be without a dip in the pool?

For over three decades, the SEBCO Swim Team has asked that question.

The squad's 2008 season is winding down, but it's been another successful one.

"We had 115 members this year," said SEBCO coach Alex Fertelmes. "Unlike a lot of teams, we hold our practices in the evenings and I think that attracts a lot of kids."

SEBCO (Southeastern Butler County) belongs to the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Swim League, along with eight other teams, including Penn Valley, Armstrong, Alameda and Evans City.

The team is comprised of youth swimmers ages five to 17 and holds its practices and meets at the pool in Laura Doerr Park in Jefferson Township.

"This season, we started practice right after Memorial Day and our first meet was in June," said Fertelmes.

While the team does provide an avenue for its better swimmers to excel and compete, evidenced by last weekend's AK Valley Championships at the Evans City Pool, that is not what is stressed to its members.

"To make the league championships, you have to be in the top three on your team in a certain event," said SEBCO president Kate Lindsey. "But we have swimmers who swim here year after year and never get a chance to go that far, but they keep coming back.

"They must be having fun," she added.

There are no tryouts to become part of the SEBCO family.

"A lot of our swimmers are new to the sport," said Fertelmes. "The league in general is not as competitive and is geared more toward having fun."

The team also has veterans, such as Phil Pacey and Jill Vogus, from Mars and Knoch High School, respectively.

"I've been with SEBCO for 11 or 12 years," said Vogus, 16, who will be a junior at Knoch in the fall. "I've formed a lot of friendships over the years and it's been an altogether good time.

"I have one year left to swim here and I'm definitely looking forward to it," she added.

Pacey, 17, will be a senior at Mars.

"My whole family is into swimming," he said. "My parents, sister, cousins."

There are five age groups on the team, 8-and-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-and-over.

But Fertelmes makes sure that beginners and veteran swimmers get the most out of their time in the pool.

"He's a great coach," Pacey said of Fertelmes, who is assisted by Brittney Vogel, Nicole Vogus and Claire Pacey. "With my age group, we're always working with a bunch of different sets and workouts to build up your heartrate.

"(Fertelmes) knows the techniques that will help you go faster."

Lindsey was once a swimmer for SEBCO, beginning in 1973. She has seen first hand how interest in the team has grown.

"When I joined, the whole team could fit into two or three cars for an away meet," she said. "But now, our numbers are growing every year."

For more information on the SEBCO swim team, call Lindsey at 724-360-0991.