The 28th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) 

The 28th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet will be held February 14–16, 2014, at the Takoma Aquatic Center (300 Van Buren St., NW).  Meets start at 8 am and end at approximately 5:30 pm each day.  For more information, contact DPR's Aquatics Division at (202) 671-1289.
 

Call for volunteers!

The BHISM is in need of volunteers. If you would like to volunteer for this years meet, go to http://bit.ly/BHISMVol, fill out a short form and we will contact you.  We are looking for timers, ribbon writers, runners and hospitality volunteers. Hope to see you there!!
 

BHISM Schedule

Wednesday, February 12
  - Volunteer Briefing : 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Friday, February 14
  - CANCELLED: Session 1 (13 & over) : Warm up - 9 am to 10 am | First event: 10 am  
  - CANCELLED: Session 1 Coaches meeting:  9:45 am
  - Session 2 (12 & under): Warm up - 1 pm to 2 pm | First event: 2 pm
  - Session 2 Coaches meeting: 1:45 pm

Saturday, February 15
  - Session 1 (13 & over) : Warm up - 7 am to 8 am | First event: 8 am
  - Honoree Awards Ceremony: 12 pm
  - Session 2 (12 & under): Warm up - 1 pm to 2 pm | First event: 2 pm

Sunday, February 16
  - Session 1 (13 & over) : Warm up - 7 am to 8 am | First event: 8 am
  - High Point Award Ceremony for 13 & over: 12:30 pm
  - Session 2 (12 & under): Warm up - 1 pm to 2 pm | First event: 2 pm
  - High Point Award Ceremony for 12 & under: 6:30 pm
 

BHISM Honoree - Coach Russell “Kim” Williams

DPR congratulates this years' honoree, Coach Russell “Kim” Williams of the Baltimore City Swim Club (BCSC).  Coach Williams has been a part of this annual event from the very beginning.  He and his team participated in the first Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) held in 1987 at the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center.  Coach Williams and the Baltimore City Swim Club have participated year after year in every BHISM.  A consistent supporter of the swim meet, Coach Williams has not only seen it grow year after year, but he is one of the reasons that it can and continues to grow.  We are privileged to honor Coach Williams this year.

BHISM Competing Teams

1. All Star Aquatics
2. Baltimore City Swim Club
3. Central Chesapeake
4. City of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
5. DPR - DC Wave (DC)
6. Detroit Recreation Swim Club (Detroit, MI)
7. Dover YMCA (Delaware)
8. Elite Rays Swim Club
9. Fast Swim Team
10. Flaherty Dolphins
11. Greenbelt Municipal Swim Club
12. Herndon Aquatic Club
13. HLHK Seals
14. Jersey Devilrays Swim Club
15. Kips Bay Makos
16. Lake Erie Silver Dolphins
17. Lions Pride Swim Club
18. Loyola Blakefield AQ
19. Machine Aquatics
20. Monroeville Marlins
21. Nation's Capital Swim Club
22. North Palm Beach Swim Club
23. Pittsburgh Stingrays
24. Prince George's Parks & Recreation
25. Shark Tank Racing Squad
26. Tidewater Aquatics Club
27. University of Maryland
28. Western YMCA
29. Alexandria Sea Dragons
30. Randallstown Aquatic Club
31. YMCA Stingrays

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History of the Black History Invitational Swim Meet

This unique event was co-founded in 1987 by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the United Black Fund, Inc. (UBF) in honor of Black History Month. These two organizations have worked together every year since to produce the first swim meet in the nation to celebrate this important month that higlights the contributions of African Americans to U.S. society. 

The invitational was founded with the goals of providing urban youth nationwide with a positive outlet for expression, exposure to strong competition, a forum to meet positive role models, and the opportunity to visit the nation's capital. Since the very first year, DPR and UBF are proud that the Black History Invitational Swim Meet has fulfilled these goals and has grown from a small, local competition to one now hailed by USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming, as the "premier minority swim competition in the United States and in the World." The two-day annual event now attracts nearly 800 minority competitors, ages 5–18, from swim teams in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, New York and other metropolitan areas in the United States.

• 26th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) Results
• 25th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) Results
• 24th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) Results

Black History Invitational Swim Meet Honorees

Beginning in 1989, the Black History Invitational Swim Meet Steering Committee has chosen courageous and notable African Americans in history or in the field of swimming whose contributions are known throughout the world to be recognized during the weekend's events.

Swim Meet Honorees