Arlington Knights of Columbus Holy Mackerels

Christine M. Anderson (Coach Christine) was a member of the AKC Holy Mackerels swim team for many years. She was a record holder in several relay events and received the Coach’s Award in 1986 (when she was 11) and in 1991(when she was 16). Her a cappella rendition of the National Anthem graced every Saturday morning swim meet. Christine was the Assistant Coach of the swim team the summer of 1994. She was tragically killed in 1995 in an automobile accident when she was hit by a driver who was under the influence of alcohol. Her loss was deeply felt by the swim team.

The Christine Anderson Award was created as a memory to the character and personality that she personified during her years as a member of the Holy Mackerels and as a coach. This award is not about being the fastest swimmer. It is about being a team player, exhibiting team spirit, mentoring younger swimmers, being enthusiastic not only for winning but also for those whose dreams might have been bigger than reality. It is about getting excited for ourselves, our team accomplishments, and for building character through example, word, and action. The following individuals have received this annual award:

Peter Samp (Coach Peter) was a member of the AKC Holy Mackerels swim team since he was 8 years old. Peter was also a Junior Coach of the swim team the summer of 2007 & 2008. In 2008, Peter graduated from St. Anselm’s Abbey School in Washington, D.C., where he participated in the “It’s Academic” program, earned a perfect score on his SAT and accumulated 13 Advanced Placement credits. He was taking a year off to work as a sports writer for the Montgomery County Gazette, but was planning to attend Harvard University that fall. He died suddenly of hydrocephalus after a brain cyst he had since birth became dislodged. He was only 18 years old.

To honor Peter, the Holy Mackerels dedicated their 2009 season to his memory. Before each race, team members make a point to say a prayer for him. The team hung an orange flag with the regular blue and white backstroke flags above the pool and hooked a keychain with Peter’s name on it to a lane line, to keep him in the water with them. His loss continues to be deeply felt by the swim team.

The Peter Samp Award was created in his memory to honor the passion he exhibited for life including his ability to work hard and give 100 percent to his swimming skills and other activities.The award is given to an outstanding swimmer who is committed to the team and driven to succeed in and out of the water. The winners of the “Peter Samp Award” are:

Other awards given during the Awards Ceremony include:

• “Coaches” Award is presented to swimmers who shows leadership and sets a good example for all the swimmers; is easy to coach, works hard, shows initiative and helps the coaches when asked.

• “Big Mack” Award is given to those swimmers who consistently attends practice, goes above and beyond with their spirit of what is required of them and shows a willingness to help out in various ways during the swim practices and meets.

• “Most Improved” Award is given to that swimmer, in each age group and by gender, who has shown the most improvement/drop in their times.

• “High Point" Award is given to the swimmer who has the highest point total earned during the swim season in each age and gender group.

• “Team High Point” Award is given to the swimmer, often undefeated, who has the most points earned during the swim season Saturday meets. This is presented to one female and one male swimmer.

• “All Star(s)” swimmers are announced at this time. These are the swimmers and alternates, who swam the fastest time in each event in each age group during our Divisional Qualification meet. These swimmers then compete in the league-wide “All Stars” meet held on the last Saturday of the season.

The awards stated above are presented each season.Also, the coaches have the flexibility to create other awards for swimmers that they feel merit recognition.