Faith’s best friend, Abby, joined the HSES swim team this year and we somehow convinced her to join, also. I remember loving swim team as a kid and I thought it would be awesome for Faith to experience so I pushed but didn’t insist. Between Abby and I we ended up getting her to join. From practice on Day 1 she was hooked!! She joined with the caveat that she would NOT do any of the meets; just the practices. And I agreed that was fine, secretly hoping the coaches would get her pumped up to try a meet at some point.
I was shocked when she came home Thursday from practice and told me she had decided to do the swim meet this Saturday. She signed up for two events: 25 yard breaststroke and the Medley Relay (breaststroke). My childhood memories of meets came flooding back and so I told her all about my countless Saturdays spent at the pool with towel spread out, surrounded by my friends, with a bag of snack foods to keep me “nourished” between events. I told her about the ribbons that lined my shelves in my bedroom, and about what “heats” mean in swimming, etc… We went out Friday evening to get snacks and packed her bag so it was ready to go for Saturday 745AM.
She woke up nervous and I worried there might be tears… but once we found her friend at the meet she was good to. I signed up to be a timer so I kissed her, wished her luck, and headed to my lane. It was such a fun day! She swam the relay with no problem and then came in 2nd in her 25 yd. breaststroke. I was so proud of her for participating as she is not a real competitive spirit.
The boys slept in but when they woke up at 8:40 they remembered that Faith’s first event was at 9 and so they rode their bikes to the pool on their own and were there in time to watch her swim. Jake put his arm around her and walked her to her lane. They cheered her on alongside Brian and I. I was so proud of them that, on their own, they decided to support their sister in her new endevour. In between events Brian took them across the street to hit some balls.
Toward the end of the meet the coaches realized they were short a swimmer for the final relay so they asked Faith to do it. She was nervous because it was freestyle and she hasn’t quite mastered the breathing thing yet… but she stepped up and did it and they did awesome! After the meet she said it was so fun and that she couldn’t wait until the next one. I guess my summer Saturdays just got a little more complicated!!
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