Swim Team - So Much To Say

Well another summer of swim team has come to a close. It was such a great experience this year. I am so pro-swim team! I find it odd that so many people these days spend a month or more out of their summer somewhere else! It wasn't like that for me growing up, and since we have no family elsewhere it's not really an option. But a lot of the girls' school friends do just that. But for those of us bearing the heat and trying to figure out what to do every day, swim team is perfect. We get out the door, but not TOO early, and by the time we are done we are thinking about lunch.  A 30-minute practice somehow fills up the whole morning. And the skills they are learning are crucial and there isn't much better exercise. Sure going every day gets to be a pain, but what else would we be doing?  Spending tons of money coming up with more entertainment and listening to them fight just that much more.

Big girls with their cousins. Kaitlyn doing a gator chomp.

 Mackenzie "diving" in for her relay.

 Close up. Can't tell which one is your kid? Look for the hot pink goggles!

 Kaitlyn in the lineup waiting for her race.

So... I love our swim team. I've written about it before. I swam on the same team starting at age 5 til I was 18 and still was one of the coaches at age 19. It is by far my fondest memory growing up. Every one of us has something that tugs at our heart from our younger years and this is mine. (It's not just the team but the entire pool where I lived day in and day out every summer of my life.)  It's odd to me that my kids now swim on the very same team. Sometimes I think we should swim on one closer to our neighborhood (but it's only about 5 minutes farther so why not?). 

But as we gathered at the swim team banquet (the highlight of every summer I ever had until I was grown), even the other parents were talking about how unique and different THIS team was. Even still after all these years.  Sure some things have changed. Some things are not the same. The people on the team now don't even know my connection with it. VERY few know that my step-dad started the team and coached it for 30 years. They don't know that he ran the entire league of 30-something teams for decades. They think when my parents come down to practice and to the meets so much, that perhaps they are overzealous grandparents.  No...this was their LIFE.  Most see me as a new parent. Last year a rookie.  Do I tell them? Do I not? It's always the question.

My step-dad Rick and step-brother Scott at one of the meets. Scott still holds one of the all-time team records. He was a great swimmer!

The coaches this year were born and raised on the team, much like me.  They know about our family. My step-dad was the coach when they started. But I'm not even sure if THEY know though that my step-dad did it as long as he did.  They are growing up and may or may not be back. And their words at the banquet showed me that they feel all the things that I did and still do.  They were very emotional as this year came to close.  They get it. And I get it. But most don't. Not to that level anyway.  I can't even really explain it but I just know that I don't think we (I) could go to another team and be happy.

That being said and putting my own personal emotions aside, the girls had a great time. They both improved greatly over the summer. Kaitlyn even blew all of her previous times away at prelims and managed to qualify as the 2nd alternate for the Finals.  Her time also put her on the relay team for her age group at the Finals, which just happened to be at 8am the morning of her birthday!  She had to be at the pool at 6:30am!!  Here she is just after her race with her 3rd place medal!  

In spite of being exhausted for the birthday party, it was so fun getting to go to the Finals this year.  That was something I'm quite certain I never swam in until I was probably at least 11 or 12 years old.  

She also got to swim backstroke at her last two meets.

The next night was the swim team banquet. This team does it 1st Class all the way. It's not a pizza party like every other sport or team out there.  It's a formal banquet. Everyone gets dressed up (which is so cool after seeing everyone wet and ratty all summer). The kids each get their own table and get treated like grown ups.  

Then come the trophies.  If you remember my post last year (Swim Team Season and Twin Challenge #8: Competing With Your Twin), the grand moment of them both receiving their participation trophies became clouded when Kaitlyn also won the Most Improved Award for her age group. Well I just couldn't believe it but this year, Mackenzie won the Most Improved Award. 

I know they will not always be even but it sure was a wonderful surprise for all of us! Even Kaitlyn was happy for her and I think Mackenzie's self-esteem went through the roof.  All that hard work. It's nice to be rewarded.  I was so proud of both of them for continuing on day after day and trying so hard at the meets too.  I can't wait to see what next year brings!

Oh, and after seeing how quickly the little girls are coming along, I think they may be on the team next year too. Our team doesn't make them start out going the whole way. I definitely think they could do it. And since we'll be there anyway.....looks like we'll have 4 Gators in the house!