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12/11/2019 11:00 PMQuite often, high school swimmers are hitting the water for the first time as freshmen and need a little time to get into the swing of things. However, the opposite is true for Aby Brooks, who made an immediate impact by scoring points right away in her freshman season with the East Haven-Wilbur Cross girls’ swimming team.
Aby competes at the club level with the Soundview YMCA Stingrays out of Branford. As a result, she was ahead of the curve from day one when she joined the Yellowjackets this fall.
“I feel like it got me prepared for what is to come,” says Aby. “Some of the workouts are hard and, if you don’t know what to expect, they could be harder.”
Aby started swimming at the East Haven Town Pool at a young age. A few years later, Aby stepped into the competitive circuit when she signed up to swim for the Stingrays as a middle-schooler.
“When I was young, my dad asked me if I wanted to swim for fun or if I wanted to swim to race. I didn’t understand the difference, so I just swam for fun,” Aby says. “Then I stopped swimming altogether, but as I got closer to high school, I started swimming competitively for my club team. I loved the water, and it made me happy to get back into it.”
Aby came to East Haven as a proficient swimmer in the freestyle, the backstroke, and the butterfly. She’s seen her greatest success in the freestyle events.
“I like freestyle the best,” says Aby. “It’s the stroke that everybody learns first and, once you get it down, it just feels good.”
Head Coach Leanne Boisvert says that Aby brought a lot of positive energy to her squad this fall. Boisvert knows that Aby is a going to be a big part of the Easties’ future.
“Aby has really been a foundational piece for our team this year, because she’s swimming in all of our A or B relays. She is someone that came in as an unexpected threat,” Boisvert says. “Aby was all smiles, so exuberant, and excited about being on the swim team in high school. That energy has not left her, which is great. She’s always extremely positive.”
Aby found a home while swimming for the Yellowjackets. After attending a smaller middle school at the East Haven Academy, she was happy to make a bunch of new friends on the high school swim team.
“Coming from the academy, where there were only 37 people in my graduating class, I knew I wouldn’t know too many people. Joining the team helped me meet new people and start getting adjusted to high school,” says Aby. “Everyone I met on the team is awesome and amazing. I love them all.”
Aby is going to compete for the East Haven girls’ outdoor track team this winter. Aby did track in the 6th grade and wasn’t the biggest fan of it, but now she’s ready to give the sport another shot.
“I’ve always kind of liked running. So, I figured it’s high school and this is a fresh start, so why not try it again and see how it goes?” says Aby, who will swim for the Stingrays in the spring. “I don’t know what I want to try yet, because I’m so new. We’ll see what happens.”
Aby was satisfied with how she fared in her freshman season with the swim team. Now, Aby wants to keep working hard so she can continue making progress in the pool.
“One of my goals is to make states in an individual event, and I’d like to break six minutes in the 500 free,” Aby says. “You need to have commitment and dedication. If you’re not putting in the time, you’re not going to get better.”