My children swim on two swim teams; one Summer, one Winter. They are 10 and 11 years old. They swim anywhere from two to five (maximum) events out of about 65. Their races last anywhere from 20 seconds to 1.5 minutes. That's it. And if you miss it, welp, sorry!! No replay monitors! Usually, my kids couldn't care one iota if I missed their event...until I do. That's the time they come up all excited squealing, "Didya see me? I took 3 seconds off my time!!" Without skipping a beat, I lie through my teeth; "You didn't hear me screaming? You were amazing!! Good job!" Technically not a lie; I often scream when they're swimming and they're ALWAYS amazing! Oy.
I'm sure, if you spend any time on Facebook, you have read at least one blog about a swim meet. They're exciting...in two minute blocks. But those two minutes? Nail biting exciting!! Especially when it comes to your own kids. The rest of the four-ish hours are spent doing whatever job you've volunteered for or, if you have the meet off, reading a book, chatting with other prisoners, um, parents, slathering lotion on your swimmers (when they come over to you ONLY to ask for something to drink, eat, or buy from the snack bar), and trying desperately to align your chair to be even somewhat in the shade. Good times...good times. I saw a tee shirt once that read, "If I only have one day left to live, I want to spend it at a swim meet 'cause they last forever". True that!
When the last regular Summer season meet arrives, there is much rejoicing! There's a pasta lunch and inspiration bags (filled with inspiring quotes and goodies for and from fellow teammates), a camp-out, team family skits, and award nights...and saying farewell to graduating seniors leaving for college or points unknown. The entire month of July is dedicated to daily morning practice and preparing to either host a meet or actively participate in an "away" meet. So come the last meet on the last Saturday of July, everyone is ready for a break. Suddenly, however, every kid now WANTS to go to the pool and spend the entire day there. Why? Why else? Because no one is telling them they have to! The nice thing is not having to be there as early as 7:30 a.m. There is an air of relaxation between the kids and the moms (read chauffeurs), summer vacations away are planned (now permitted since no meets will be missed) and the chat doesn't focus solely on swimming. It's a nice respite before, for some, it starts all over again in October!
Why do we do it? Why do we give up evenings for one or two hour practices three to five times a week and sometimes entire weekends for a two-day meet in the Winter and every morning and Saturday in the Summer? Because it's an awesome experience! Not just for the swimmers, but for the rest of us watching these boys and girls give they're all doing something I could BARELY do when I was a kid! Reading their faces when they win a race; watching them shake hands with their neighboring competitors and cheering on the last one lagging far behind. Seeing they're proud faces when they go up to receive their place ribbons while their teammates clap for them. It's deafening when these kids, either still trying to psyche themselves up for their own race or after spending the last four plus hours swimming or trying to stay cool (they're not allowed in the pool except for their events), are cheering for individual swimmers and the relay teams at the top of their collective lungs screaming, "SWIM FAST!! PULL!! GOOD TURN!! GO! GO! GO!" It's an amazing camaraderie between swimmers, and swimmers and their coaches; not to mention the parents patting each other on the back congratulating each other for their kid's win (or good try). It's cool. Very.
My kids' grandparents will never see them swim live (I love them too much to make them sit in either the blistering Summer sun or the mind-numbing humidity of the indoor Winter season) and I'll continue to bitch and moan about one thing or another. But I hope the day never comes, and it very well may, when I hear, "I don't think I'm going to swim this year."
~ Eileen Cassidy Bishop
I want to give a shout out to our team's own alum, Kelsi Worrell, the best Fly girl at the PanAm games 2015! She's on the Olympic track and we could not be happier or prouder!! She has been an inspiration to every swimmer on our team!! Swim fast, Kelsi, you got this!!!
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