SUBURBAN
AQUATIC LEAGUE
A History of the S.A.L.
In 1968-69, several age group teams in the Philadelphia suburbs were searching for an alternative winter league, one that emphasized dual meet competition over the championship format of the Amateur Athletic Union (now USS) meets. The Philadelphia Swimming Directors Society was the only league close to that, but dual meets were few and far between. Steve Sauer, the new aquatic director at Methacton High School, found Ed Cost, a Springfield Aquatic Club parent, and with like-minded folks from Lower Moreland, Centennial, and Upper Dublin, the seeds of the SAL, the SUBURBAN AQUATIC LEAGUE, were planted.
In the first season, each of the teams swam the other, and, in the spring, Methacton hosted a championship. Everyone had a great time, and the word spread. In the following season, the League expanded to ten teams. A constitution was written, championships were formalized, and the SUBURBAN AQUATIC LEAGUE was officially formed.
Over the next thirty years, the league grew until it reached its present twenty teams divided into three divisions. Along the way, some teams joined and left the group. At one time, twenty-one teams occupied the three divisions and the boundaries of the SAL stretched from Media, in Delaware County, all the way to Yardley, Bucks County.
The league’s swimmers and divers also increased from about three hundred plus in that first year to over 4000 today. The formats of the dual meets have been adjusted to meet the needs of the athletes and so were the championships. At present, the league offers divisional championships for its male and female athletes in swimming and diving and, for the top-flight qualifiers, league championships usually held at LaSalle University.
EVERY SINGLE SWIMMER AND DIVER IN THE SUBURBAN AQUATIC LEAGUE HAS A CHAMPIONSHIP SLOT AT THE END OF THE SEASON. Opportunity for lots of competition was one of the reasons the league was founded.
In addition, SAL member teams sponsor several sanctioned meets during the season and provide even more opportunities for SAL athletes to hone their aquatic skills.
Over the years, the SAL has been the breeding ground for thousands of athletes, some of whom have moved on to be world class. Most recently, Maddie Crippen competed in the 2000 Olympics and Dan Szilier swam in the trials. Both of these fine athletes started as little kids on their local SAL club teams. Other world class athletes include Rob Montgomery, Dan Whalen, David Berkoff (who invented a revolutionary backstroke pushoff), Pete Boden, Jeff Wolf, Ellie Hansen, and Robbie Cragg. The league has also produced a long list of coaches who continue to pass on their experiences to more young athletes. Naturally, colleges and universities across the country have SAL swimmers and divers on their squads. Many current SAL coaches were the young swimmers of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s.
The SAL encourages more than good swimming and diving. The annual SENIOR AWARD honors and rewards at least a half-dozen graduating seniors with a plaque and a generous check for their post-graduate studies. In its 30th season, the league started a Hall of Fame to honor those who keep and have kept the league going. The league also encourages excellence in officiating and coaching. It sponsors several officiating clinics each season and has sponsored coaching clinics as well.
In the technological age, the SAL jumped on the computer bandwagon and established www. suburbanaquatic.org, the official website of the league (if you’re reading this, you’ve found it!). The league also does most of its record-keeping and reports via computer.
SAL members who have traveled around the country have discovered that others interested in aquatic sports are always impressed and amazed with the Suburban Aquatic League, and, based on this feedback, the SAL lays claim to being the BEST LEAGUE of its kind in the United States.
Written by Mark McElwee