swim team

SJ loves the water.  He loves the water so much that he and I even went on Memorial Day when it was very COLD!  SJ's previous educational assistant had suggested that SJ join our pool's swim team. I was apprehensive at first.  I wasn't sure if this was going to be like when he was on a baseball and soccer team.  SJ gets so upset when he loses and I was worried that this would happen on the swim team too. 

My husband started taking him to practices a few weeks ago.  The team practices Monday-Friday.  It is very casual, which I like.  SJ really likes the breast stroke.  That is his favorite.  I was surprised to learn that.  I thought he would have been more of a freestyle kid. 

A week before the first meet, my husband took SJ to time trials.  The coach has the kids swim the different strokes and times them for a base time.  SJ only participated in freestyle and breast stroke for time trials.  He ended up with a 1.01.44 for freestyle and 1.05.56 in breast stroke. 

SJ doesn't love going to practice.  He gets very exhausted, but we have made him go a few times.  On Monday, he had his first meet.  He was swimming for points in back, breast and butterfly.  He was swimming exhibition in freestyle.  I was slightly shocked that he was swimming for points. That was going to be a lot of stress for SJ to do well.

At Monday's meet, my husband was a timer and I was in the audience rooting SJ on.  I reminded him that he is just trying to improve his last best time.  He started with freestyle.  He finished the race with a time of 49.66.  That was a great improvement! 

His next race was the backstroke.  He didn't want to do that one.  He said it was too hard.  I reminded him to try his best.  He clocked in at 1.09.38 and was disqualified for flipping on his belly.  He was very upset when he got out of the water.  Oh no.  This is what I was dreading.  "It hurts my brain," he kept saying.  Then, I remembered they had pizza at the concession stand. "Do you want pizza?" I asked him.  "Yes," he said and a smile appeared on his face.  Thank goodness for pizza.

His next race was his favorite, breast stroke.  He was also swimming for points in this race.  His time was 1.06.81 and again he was disqualified.  Fortunately, you don't find out about the disqualification until the next day. 

The last race was the butterfly.  He kept telling me that he didn't want to do that race.  I reminded him that he was on the schedule for it and he was swimming for points.  I said, "Just try your best."  He finished the fly at 1.08.84 and earned 4 points for his team.  Way to go, SJ! 

He was finished for the night, so he and I left my husband there to continue timing.  I was so pleased with his attitude and swimming abilities.  Hopefully, the next meet will go just as smoothly.