POULSBO — High school sports are more than just games; they are much bigger than winning and even greater than the glory of being successful. Lessons that serve one in life can be learned on the field of play, and in the pool as is the case for the North Kitsap girls’ swim team.

The Vikings hit the water Monday and have been swimming with an undercurrent theme of indiviual improvement made possible by team support. North’s addition to the Narrows League Bay Division — which is home to three of 2005’s top-five finishers at the district meet — has shifted the team’s focus away from its win/loss record. But in a way, that’s how it should be, said head coach Greg Braun who is entering his 16th season as NK head coach.

“There’s more to the sport than just the win/loss record,” Braun said, noting individual desire and camaraderie. “When (winning) becomes the focus, that’s when you see these professional athletes turning to performance enhancing drugs.”

Instead the Vikings are looking both to each other and inside themselves for their fuel.

“What Greg is teaching these kids is, yeah you are swimming against everyone else, but they are just there to push you,” assistant coach Noreen Reeves said.

The competitiveness takes the form of who’s going to win during the race, but the benefit comes when swimmers realize that they can take it up to another notch. And after accomplishment, it is time to set a new individual goal.

Even in the NK practice pool, friendly competition will be a part of success as teammates push each other through their respective streamlines. But in the face of the entire season, the Vikings are on all terms a team, united in encouragement and friendship.

“Just being back with all of the girls and having fun, joking around in the locker room and stuff,” junior captain Samantha Lemagie noted as her favorite part of diving back into the fall swim season. “I personally haven’t set goals yet, but for the team I just want everyone to do well and support each other.”

This year’s Viking squad is a little more than 20-strong in accordance with recent trends, Braun said, but it is overflowing with experience as 16 swimmers are returning from last season. And a handful of girls never got out of the pool. Stephanie Longmate, Ingrid Reeves, Talitha Aban and Katheryn Parker each belong to different clubs around the area, consistently focused on swimming throughout the year.

“The kids that have been swimming year round, they are as strong, or stronger than last year,” Braun said, adding that most of the team’s “strokes are pretty much where they were when they left.”

For those Vikings just getting back into the pool, they have been getting in shape, working out the kinks and getting used to the feel of the water in the opening days of preseason practice. With almost eight months out of the pool for some swimmers, getting back in top-caliber swimming has been the early priority.

“Probably getting back into swimming shape, my muscles ache,” senior Jackie Getas said of the most difficult part of the first week. “But it feels good just to get back in the pool again, it’s a great feeling and a great work out. Of all the sports I’ve played, swimming is probably the most intense full-body workout.”

The Vikings’ preseason workouts will continue to increase in intensity until their first meet Sept. 7 when they travel to Lincoln. Then on Sept. 14 NK will face rival CK before hosting their first meet against Mount Tahoma Sept. 19 in Poulsbo.

“We have a couple of kids that are really focused and saying right now, ‘I want to make it to state,’” Braun said, speaking of Reeves, Longmate and Parker. “The thing that’s been neat to watch is now they are starting to say, not just i but, ‘we want to make it to state.’ When you hear the word we, their is a certain amount of energy that builds.”

From that energy, the Vikings’ season is spawning.