Students will soon have the opportunity to join a new team as Cosumnes River College has recently announced the addition of a women’s swim team to the list of team sports they offer.

Still in the process of building the team, CRC’s athletic department has found a coach for the brand new team.

Head coach Teresa Rojas will not only lead the new team, she’ll also help build it. The team is one she said she is glad exists now.

“It brings equality in men and women sports teams,” Rojas said. “It was a good idea to bring another female team.”

Besides adding equity to the amount of teams for men’s and women’s sports, Rojas said there was another reason to add the team.

“We had a pool for it, [so] it’s about time to have a swim team,” Rojas said.

The new swim team was established after figuring out the funding and budgeting of the team and meeting the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX.

The portion of Title IX in reference to athletics states that “a recipient which operates or sponsors interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics shall provide equal athletic opportunity for members of both sexes,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Rojas said that the team will form slowly, and that finding swimmers will be a little challenging in the beginning. She said she hopes to find players within the school including scouting through swim classes, and hopes to bring awareness to the team to bring out women with swimming experience.

“The plans are to build this program up,” Rojas said. “To have a really solid team.”

Rojas doesn’t seem to be the only one excited about the new team.

Natasha Supan, 18, a film and digital media major said she has personal hopes for the team.

“I hope to keep in shape and gain better swimming experience,” Supan said. “We’re bringing swimming to CRC.”

Kinesiology major Madeline Tobia, 19, said she had her own hopes for the team that interact with her educational goals.

“I feel like it’s going to push me in school. Keep me busy and keep my grades up,” Tobia said. “It’s going to keep me out of trouble.”

While the team is in the process of forming and receiving positive reactions from athletes, Rojas said she has her eye on another sport in the future. Once the swim team is well established Rojas said she hopes to bring a water polo team to the campus.