First Swim Meet

The truth is . . . I've never wanted to have my kids in swim team.  I hate the heat.  I hate the idea of sweltering fully clothed by a pool while I wait for hours with the only reward being a couple of  two-minute races.

But my little Jackie, who hasn't yet discovered an interest in my favorite sport (basketball), begged and begged to do swim team, so I acquiesced.  Then I decided . . . if I'm going to put one kid in swim team, I might as well put them all in--either way I have to drive, and they might as well all learn to swim fast.

So I forced Morgan to try for a week.  I told her that if she tried and didn't like it, she could stop, and I wouldn't complain about the wasted money.  And I put Henry in, thinking that he would just enjoy doing what his sisters were doing . . . that . . . and, what else was I going to do with him while they swam?

It turned out that we have some friends from church who are doing the same swim team.  So after the first day, this is the conversation Morgan and I had:

Me:  "Morgan, you didn't like swim team, right?  You're not going to do it next week?"

Morgan, sheepishly:  "Well . . . actually, I did."

Me:  "You sure?  You don't have to do it."

Morgan:  "Yes, yes, yes!  I loved it!"

Henry, on the other hand, decided he did not  want to do swim team.  He has played with a friend instead for all the practices.

So tonight was our first swim meet. All the kids decided to participate.  Even Henry.

Ironically, Morgan got out after her first race, walked around the pool, and said, "That was awful."   She chose to leave the meet and go to her basketball practice with me instead.  I honestly was happy about that because our original plan was for her to swim one race and then leave to attend basketball practice.  (I'm the coach, so I care.)

Morgan's races

Jackie's races

Jackie ended up swimming Morgan's leg of the big kids' freestyle relay.  Notice that she and Morgan both have a 76 on their arms--that was the freestyle relay.  Jackie also competed in freestyle and backstroke races.

Henry also swam freestyle.  Before he raced, I came over and reminded him of a few of the swimming techniques we'd been working on--reaching far, keeping his legs straight, flutter kicks, etc.  When the start buzzer went off, he looked around, saw other kids jumping, and jumped straight down  into the water--a slow start.  But he worked at it and made it across the pool next to last.  Afterward, he walked around to me.

Me:  "Nice job Henry!  You had a great first race."

Henry, with a cute incredulous smile:  "What?  That was a race?  Mom, why didn't you tell me!"

Henry was in race #11.