It must have started with the "Parent/Child" swims. Emma's love for swimming that is. She's always enjoyed the water, taking lessons or swimming at Triangle Lake, so about three summers ago, she joined a local athletic club's swim team. I dropped her off at the first practice knowing there was going to be some athletic training involved, and she hadn't necessarily had that kind of experience, yet. It wasn't soon after that first practice that she said, "Mom, we just go back and forth." This spring, she's going into her third year of being a member of the Eugene City Swim Club. That's a lot of back and forth!We spent part of this weekend at the Oregon A's Championships in Corvallis. Emma swam on two relay teams, one swimming Friday, the other on Sunday. She was still recovering from the cold that has occupied our house these past couple of weeks, but she had committed to swimming her events.
If you've never attended a swim meet, it is difficult to describe what actually takes place, or even how it works. It is a complicated machine of swimmers, coaches, parents, volunteers, officials, and those brave enough to come and watch-the spectators.
We've gone to meets long enough to have a feel for which meets and pools we like and dislike. I seem to be most concerned about whether or not they have good concessions.
Waiting is a main event at a swim meet. I cannot say I have mastered all the things one could do while waiting at a swim meet, but I have done one or more of the following: cleaned the car, read, sunbathed, slept, talked on the phone, played cards, and watched movie. The list goes on an on...
It's not only spending most of the weekends that is a time consuming commitment. There are the drop off/pick-ups at practices, the negotiations of which days Emma will practice, and determining which meets would be the most beneficial for the entire family to attend. But the commitment is worth it. I'm sure the memories she's made with her teammates will last a lifetime. I have watched her grow into a strong athlete and encouraging team member. Most importantly, she has become a young woman who is respectful of those who have dedicated their time and energy to developing such attributes, her coaches.
So, for the fam, and Gram to travel to Corvallis, and to wait five hours-plus, is well worth the 38 second swim.
2 comments:
Yeah to our 38 second wonder Emma. The driving, the waiting, the bleacher butt, the waiting, the searching for an outlet to juice up my laptop, the waiting, the sleeping, the waiting, the "do you have any cash for the concessions", the waiting are all worth the 38 seconds of actual swimming you did. I am proud that you made the "A" team relays this year. And Yeah! you dropped almost 2 seconds.
Papa
Yay, Emma! That's a great accomplishment.
My kids didn't go beyond basic swimming, but during Victoria's horseback lessons (and a show), we hung out and did many tidbitty things, waiting. And it was well worth it.
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