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01/29/2020 11:00 PMHethon Foster has been in the pool since he was just six months old. Hethon took lessons for several years and then started to swim competitively five years ago. Now a sophomore at East Haven High School, Hethon is swimming for the Greater New Warriors’ co-op squad, which is in the middle of its first season of existence.
“My mom could never swim, so she made sure to put my brother and I in swimming when we were very young,” says Hethon. “The coach I was with since I was a baby realized I had a certain skill level and recommended me to a club team.”
Hethon signed up for the Soundview YMCA Stingrays’ swimming program when he was 10. He competed for the Stingrays for four years before joining the Yale Bulldogs, a team he swims with on a year-round basis.
“Being able to compete with kids my age was a new experience, and it was exciting for me,” Hethon says. “I liked being able to meet different people from all over the state, travel to different places, and swim at different facilities.”
When Hethon started at East Haven High School, he was disappointed that he would not be able to compete with a full swim team. However, he didn’t give up on swimming. Instead, Hethon and another club teammate, Pavlo Melnyk, competed individually with the Branford-Guilford co-op squad. Hethon wound up qualifying for the Class M State Championship in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly as a freshman last year.
“When I started swimming, it was about trying to master all my strokes, but now the two strokes I swim more often than others are butterfly and freestyle,” says Hethon. “Originally, I was a stronger backstroker, but a year or two later, I started working on fly, because it was my worst stroke and, since then, it has become my best stroke.”
Throughout the past year, Martha Phelan, who has coached boys’ and girls’ swimming at North Haven High School for several seasons, started working on forming a co-op program to give swimmers who had been participating as individuals the chance to compete with a team. Prior to the current campaign, the Greater New Haven Warriors boys’ swimming and diving squad was formed, featuring athletes from North Haven, Guilford, East Haven, North Branford.
“It’s exciting because, as a team-of-one, you can’t do much,” Hethon says. “Now, I have the opportunity to score points for my team and create a bond with all of the other swimmers.”
Hethon knew some members of the newly formed team and was excited to meet everyone else. Before the season started, the Warriors’ athletes enjoyed a day of go-karting in order to get to know each other. The team is now seeing success its inaugural season.
“The season is going really well, and all of the boys are swimming their best and their hardest, because we want to reach SCCs and states together,” says Hethon. “We all cheer for each other and, when we share wins together, it’s pretty exciting. The strength of the bond we have together in just a few months is amazing.”
Coach Phelan is impressed with Hethon’s abilities in both the freestyle and butterfly. Phelan looks forward to seeing what Hethon can accomplish during the Warriors’ postseason meets this winter.
“Hethon is a huge contributor to the front lineup in individual events and relays. Hethon is versatile, which allows me to move him around in my dual-meet lineups. He steps up in those exciting meets, and he’s a great competitor,” Phelan says. “Hethon is respectful and has an incredible work ethic. He has been a big part of our great team chemistry and is always interacting with everyone, giving positive encouragement. I’ve enjoyed watching Hethon be a part of this team and contributing in a major way to our wins. Hethon is so talented and will go deep into the postseason both in individual events and relays.”
Hethon has his sights set on achieving more success in the postseason. His personal-best time in the 50 freestyle is 22.58 seconds, and his top mark for the 100 butterfly is a 53.48. Hethon wants to earn both All-SCC and All-State honors this year.
Outside of the high school season, Hethon is working on improving his time in the 200 butterfly. His current best time is a 2:02.63.
“I’d like to try to make the State Open and have my eyes on making Olympic Trials,” says Hethon, an honors student. “Before high school gets out, I’d like to make one of those goals.”
Hethon has worked with a number of coaches with his various teams through the years. Hethon feels grateful for all the guidance that he’s received from them, along with the support that he gets from his family.
“All of my coaches have helped me and have been supportive and willing to help me with what I needed or just been there to talk to,” Hethon says. “All of my family—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and my brother—try to come to meets, and it means a lot to me. Knowing my family is there cheering me on and supporting me helps me swim strong and stay focused.”