Water was lapping, children were diving and hundreds of parishioners were cheering on their team's swimmers --- without worrying all that much about who won or lost.

Catholic Swim League meets --- like this Oct. 4 gathering with 601 swimmers at the new San Fernando Regional Pool in San Fernando, with teams from 14 parishes in or near the San Fernando Valley --- have been a tradition for four decades, thanks largely to generations of parents whose values extend well beyond "coming in first."

Sometime back in the 1960s, a group of dedicated San Fernando Valley parishioners started the league as a way for their children to have fun while being introduced to competitive swimming. Many of those first swimmers are now bringing their own children to the league's Sunday swim meets, culminating with the 2009 championship meet on Nov. 1.

Kevin Breard, who swam for St. Francis de Sales' parish swim team as a child, told The Tidings Oct. 4 that the swimming experience he enjoyed as a child is something he wants to pass on to his children.

"In 1969, at ten years old, I won my first heat ribbon," said Breard, who went on to swim for Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. "I'm now blessed, having two children here."

Erin Hallissy, 40, attending the meet with her mother, Marlene O'Neill, and swimmer-son, Jimmy, said she enjoyed swimming as a child on the St. Mel (Woodland Hills) team even though the water was sometimes very cold. The swim league experience gave Hallissy good sportsmanship skills, according to her mom.

"She went on to different sports," said O'Neill of her daughter who earned a tennis scholarship to the University of San Francisco. "I think participating in the swim league was just the beginning of her love of sports and passing it on to her children."

Kay Milford, who swam for St. Mel's 35 years ago and now has two children in the league, says her positive swimming experience as a child is the reason she serves as team manager for St. Jude (Westlake Village).

"I run the St. Jude swim team because I'm passionate about it. I wasn't really that good, but the league made me feel like I was amazing. The miracle happened for me in high school when I made All-CIF as a freshman," said Milford, who said her team has grown from 9 to 30 swimmers because "they just have so much fun."

According to Stacy Smith, league president who has been coaching Catholic teams for 22 years, swimming is a fun sport that builds character. "I think it's a great introduction to competitive swimming for the kids in helping them understand what it's all about as far as discipline and the commitment of coming every day and practicing and learning to be on a team and contributing to that team," said Smith.

She noted parents also benefit in learning how to be a good parent to an athlete by not pressuring them and supporting them whether they win or lose. "We try to emphasize everybody is a winner," said Smith. "I like to deemphasize awards."

"I think this league is wonderful," said Donna Rattigan, who has an older child who swam for many years as well as younger child, Jack, currently competing on the St. Francis de Sales team. "It's a great opportunity for all the parents to work together with the children and teach them about team sports. It's competitive, but it's 'kindly competitive,' which I really like about it."

"It's fun, and it's good to see kids from other schools and make new friends," said Christopher Sleutjes, 11, who has been swimming on the St. Francis de Sales team since first grade. His sister Madison, 8, has been a team member for two years. Their mom Denise says the league provides a great sense of community for young and older participants alike.

Incarnation (Glendale) team members Mila Mendoza and Rose Cano-Ruiz, both eight years old, enjoy the shared camaraderie, the supportive environment and the opportunity to win occasionally. "The thing I like is that they give you a lollipop or they give you a medal," commented Cano-Ruiz.

"It's a very family-oriented type of thing because it's the Catholic League and we're all parishes coming together," said Ellen Abbene, coach of the St. John Eudes (Chatsworth) team whose ten children participated in the league during elementary school.

"It's nice to be able to have prayer before the meet," she noted. "It's the spirit of everybody coming together and having that purpose of whatever we do here really is more about God and the talents he's given us and how we can improve upon those and love each other."