According to Bakersfield College Athletic Director Jan Stuebbe, “After 16 years of not having one, BC will again have a swim team by January of 2008.”

When asked how come it took so long to again have a swimming program, Stuebbe simply said that he was not sure of the actual reason, but he is real happy about the outlook for the program now.

In addition, Stuebbe added, “BC hired Charles Pike as an adjunct instructor and coach for the swimming team.”

Pike, an Ohio high school state champion in the 500 freestyle, also swam for San Diego Mesa Community College and Chico State and was an All American.

Hired four years ago by BC, Pike is the current aquatic instructor and he teaches, beginning, advanced and water polo to all ages. Pike added that when BC had a swimming team they were “good and in the top 20 state community colleges.”

When asked about his plan for a successful program, he said “as it is, is simply by word of mouth and some coverage by the Bakersfield Californian newspaper.” He said he has “received a lot of feedback from interested individuals, and kids from our local high schools are inquiring about the swimming program as well.”

“I would like to have as many kids, male and female, for our swimming program as possible,” Pike said. He said he would like to see 20 males and 20 females on the team. In addition, he would create a traveling swimming team in the process.

Pike believes he has the complete support of the Physical Education Department, and he added that, “they are good, good people in the system.”

He is projecting a preseason program starting this summer in order to get the team in condition and ready for competition by January 2008.

Right now their funding is coming out of the Athletic Department, but he insists that he has some ideas for some original fund raising in order to help the program.

His said that his main objective is for the program to be “self sustained.” He also added that there are no community college swimming scholarship programs available but that could change in the interim and development with a successful swimming season.

Pike believes and is projecting that by his third year in the program, they could be having a very successful and challenging swimming program.

Pike is from Cleveland, married to Tina Pike, and has three children: 10-year-old Ayden, 7-year-old Bailey, and 5-year-old Reiley.