Four titles and counting: What keeps the DI Flying Fish on top

For the Daniel Island Flying Fish, winning has become a tradition. 

This summer, the Flying Fish captured their fourth consecutive championship title, cementing their place as one of the Lowcountry’s most dominant youth swim programs. But ask longtime coaches and swimmers what makes the team successful, and they will tell you it has little to do with trophies. 

Instead, they credit the team’s success to values such as leadership, mentorship, and sportsmanship that have shaped the program for years. 

For student coach Carter Riley, the Flying Fish has been a defining part of his life since he was 12 years old. 

“My favorite memory from on the team was going to meets and cheering everyone on,” Riley said. “Encouraging them to do their best made me feel like I was helping them even though I wasn’t in the pool.” 

Over the years, Riley transitioned from swimmer to coach, following in the footsteps of mentors like Coach Rose Van Metre and Coach Lizzie Kelsch . 

“The Flying Fish have meant the world to me; being able to coach these amazing kids and being coached by amazing coaches like Coach Rose and Coach Lizzie has just helped me grow so much as a person,” Riley said. “It has helped me to become a better leader for anything that comes after DI swim.” 

That passing of knowledge from one generation to the next has become a hallmark of the program. Young swimmers grow up watching older teammates lead cheers on the pool deck and celebrate accomplishments both big and small. Years later, many return to the Flying Fish as coaches themselves, eager to pass on what they learned from the program that helped shape them. 

For Mackenzie LeVeen, a senior swimmer and student coach, one tradition in particular captures the spirit of the team: the Flying Fish’s signature “rooster” cheer before every meet. 

“When I was really young, it was so exciting to have the older swimmers lead the cheer and have all my friends together to do it,” LeVeen said. “It was cool being able to grow up doing the same cheer with the same people.” 

This year, LeVeen experienced the tradition from an entirely new perspective. 

“Being able to cheer with both my friends from when I was super young and now the kids that I coach was so special to me,” she said. 

While championships may make headlines, it is the friendships and shared experiences that keep swimmers coming back summer after summer. 

Riley said transitioning from swimmer to coach allowed him to continue contributing to the program that had given him so much. 

“I knew that I could take what I have learned from my coaches and apply it to these new swimmers and help them grow,” he said. 

His favorite part of coaching was not watching swimmers win races, but seeing their reactions afterward. 

“My favorite thing about coaching was watching my swimmers go out and compete and then them having the biggest smiles on their faces after the race because it made me know that I was doing a good job as a coach,” Riley said. 

That emphasis on fun is something coaches work hard to preserve, even amid the team’s success. 

“I hope younger swimmers can take away that this whole sport is for fun and just to enjoy it,” Riley said. “Once it is all over, do you want to look back and say, 'Man I lost some races,' or look back and say, 'I had the best summer ever racing and getting better with my friends.'” 

The Flying Fish’s four straight championships are certainly impressive, but those involved with the program believe the wins are simply a result of something larger. Young swimmers are taught to support one another and step into leadership roles as they grow. 

By the time they age out of the program, many have spent nearly a decade together. 

“It felt a little surreal to know that my swimming career with the Flying Fish is over, but it makes me happy to look back and see all that I have accomplished,” Riley said. 

As another championship banner is added to the team’s legacy, Riley said there is one thing he will miss most. 

“The swimmers, because these kids are one of a kind and bring a smile to my face every day when I walk out on that pool deck. They are so talented, funny, and just amazing kids that I am going to miss so much.”