SLIPPERY ROCK — More than 30 years ago, Tedd Nesbit was one of the original members of the Slippery Rock Eels community swimming team.

Now, he is the club president.

Two of his children, 10-year-old Charlie and 8-year-old Marybelle, are among the 60-plus youths who call the Eels their team.

"It actually hasn't changed very much since I was a kid," Nesbit said of the club, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2009.

For all that time the Eels have had one goal: Give children from age 5 to 18 a place to swim and compete.

Nesbit, a resident of Grove City and a self-employed lawyer, has been president of the Eels for two years.

The challenges are many, he said.

"There's just so much more for kids to do these days," Nesbit said. "Our biggest challenge is to keep it going, keep it together."

The swim club weathered some turbulent waters in the 1980s.

Membership dwindled. Facilities were scarce. But the Eels survived, and under the watchful eye of volunteers like Nesbit, the club is flourishing again despite the constant pull of other activities.

The swim season runs from October to March.

"Kids have a lot more to choose from than when I was a kid and in the club," Nesbit said. "In the fall we are competing with football, soccer. In the winter, basketball, cheerleading. In the spring baseball and softball. It's a real challenge."

But to Nesbit, swimming is the perfect sport.

The Eels are a competitive group, but aren't all about winning at all times.

The skill levels of the swimmers range from beginner to accomplished. But no matter the level, swimming has an appeal, Nesbit said.

"Swimming is a lifelong activity." Nesbit said. "It's not like Little League when the best players play. Everyone can participate. Everyone can compete against other swimmers, but also themselves. You can get a lot of satisfaction from swimming your best time, no matter where you place."

Still, Nesbit is making a push to take the Eels even further.

Since the club began, coaches have been mostly college students and volunteers from the community.

But Nesbit and the board hope to hire a professional coach for the more advanced swimmers.

"We're losing a lot of kids age 12 and up," Nesbit said. "We're a development team, but those kids need more professional coaching. We're trying to take it to the next level."

Slippery Rock University has helped the Eels club maintain its stronghold in Slippery Rock.

The university donates pool time at Aebersold Recreation Center and Morrow Field House. Without those facilities, Nesbit said, the Eels would have little chance of survival.

"We're like everyone else," Nesbit said. "We worry about and look at budgets. SRU is one of the main reasons we're been able to survive."

Nesbit doesn't see a future without the Eels. He's seen the benefits more than most, first as a swimmer and now as a parent.

"I swam on it and now my children are swimming in it," Nesbit said. "It's a thrill to see them do it, too."