Albany-Area YMCA Stingrays head to state competition

ALBANY — Just a few years after disappearing from the local sports scene, the Albany Area YMCA Stingrays are making a successful return.

Less than a year after Ricktavious “Coach Ricky” Anderson took over the YMCA’s aquatics program, eight Stingrays have qualified for this week’s Georgia Recreation and Parks Association Class A State Swimming Championships in Douglasville, a milestone that signals the rebirth of competitive swimming at the Albany YMCA.

“We are sending eight to compete at state, and that’s exciting,” Anderson said. “I’m so proud of this team. I’m proud of the diversity of this team and how well they all get along, work together and enjoy being with each other.”

Representing the Stingrays at the state meet will be Rhyan Adams, Bianca Barber, Seth Baimbridge, Charlotte Craft, Richardson Dorran, Donald Gilbert, Drew Raburn and Cortlyen Gilbert.

The Stingrays qualified eight of the 13 swimmers who competed at the GRPA regional championships in Moultrie, an accomplishment Anderson said reflects months of hard work both in and out of the pool.

A former Westover High School swimmer and Army veteran, Anderson took over the YMCA’s aquatics program in November 2024 with one goal in mind — rebuilding a competitive swim program that had quietly faded away around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His first challenge wasn’t teaching strokes or turns.

It was changing the athletes’ mindset.

“It was definitely a process that took several months,” Anderson said. “When you’re competing, you definitely need a different mindset. With swimming, you either love it or hate it, especially being competitive.”

Some swimmers weren’t immediately sold.

“I had kids telling me they were just there to make their parents happy because all they really wanted to do was play football,” Anderson said with a smile. “Now they’re all in on swimming.”

Anderson credits assistant coach Micheal Christian with helping establish the team’s emphasis on proper fundamentals, believing sound technique ultimately beats raw speed.

“I’ve had other coaches tell me they were really impressed with the technique of our swimmers,” Anderson said. “Better technique wins over just plain speed every time.”

That attention to detail has produced steady improvement throughout the season.

As the Stingrays prepare for the state championships, Anderson isn’t placing pressure on his swimmers to return home with medals.

Instead, he wants each athlete focused on beating his or her own best time.

“I tell the kids not to worry about the person in the lane next to you,” Anderson said. “Focus on yourself. You know your time, and the goal is to get faster and set your personal best. The main thing is to have fun, show what you’ve got, do your best for yourself and your team.”

Perhaps the biggest victory this season, however, hasn’t been measured by times on a stopwatch.

It’s been building a team.

The Stingrays feature swimmers from Albany and Leesburg, including athletes who compete against one another during the high school season for Lee County, Westover and Dougherty.

At the YMCA, those rivalries disappear.

Anderson credits team captain Bianca Barber for helping unite the diverse group.

“She has done a great job breaking down those walls and pulling the team together,” he said.

A trip to Albany’s Fun Park also helped strengthen those friendships.

“That really helped the team come together,” Anderson said.

While swimming is often viewed as an individual sport, Anderson said the Stingrays have embraced the relay events more than anything else. The relays require swimmers to rely on one another, and Anderson said that’s when the team’s chemistry shines brightest.

“Competing together makes them really happy,” he said.

For Anderson, that’s exactly the culture he hoped to create.

“I want to build a culture of swimming in southwest Georgia,” he said. “Swimming is so good for you, and I want younger kids to discover the sport and fall in love with it. This is just the beginning.”

The Stingrays’ eight state qualifiers will compete this week in Douglasville, carrying with them not only hopes of fast times, but the momentum of a program that is making waves once again.