You've got to swim, baby, swim!

i wanted my girls to swim last season.  desperately.  but somehow the buser girls didn't make the team.  it wasn't because they couldn't swim it was because i was a day late.  literally.  i tried to sign them up and our team was full in a 24 hour time span.

i made it my mission to get them on the team this year.  a momma has got to do what a momma has got to do.  and let me say, it wasn't easy.  i asked questions of long-time swimmers to be met with peeps that had me to believe that if they didn't swim by age 4 their swim career was over.  O- VER!  part of me bought what those mommas were selling, but the realist in me decided that a nine year old and a six year old could not be counted out just yet.  i persisted.

on an anniversary night away, momma set the alarm clock and logged into the swim team registration at EXACTLY 12:01 on the given date and signed my two eldest babes up for the team.  we would not be counted out.

and yet i must admit, I wasn't totally sure that I wanted IN.

we have been swimming since march and i was hooked from week one.  coach brett and coach jen hooked me from day one.  they made a huge point to KNOW my girls.  coach brett figured out both of them from the get-go.  he knew that d liked jokes and smiles and that e liked competition.  he knew that d would push herself against her peers but that e would push herself against her sister.  he knew when to lie low and when to push hard.

week one, d could swim a few strokes but her butterfly was lacking.  girlie could barely make it across the pool.

her back stoke was lacking and she didn't use her push off to gain distance.

and her two-hand touch often was her demise.

but he never gave up on my girls.  and my heart was happy because they were happy.  meet after meet.  they loved it!

and he knew me.

he talked to me poolside and showed me that it wasn't today that mattered but the long term swimmers in each of them.  when they succeeded he celebrated.  when they needed encouragement, he met that need.  when they needed space, he gave it.  my e hated going off the block, coach jen found small accomplishments and pushed her towards the next one.

and today, on our last meet, my e went off the block for every race!

they pursued their personal bests and they valued being part of this great team.  and if i hadn't been so consumed in getting each girlie into line for each race, i would have cried!  i loved watching them excel.  i loved watching them make friends.  i loved watching them cheer on their peers.  i loved getting to hang with my own peers.  i even loved my job (where i got to meet swimmers from each age group and learn what made them tick).

and even pops, who didn't swim this year, found joy in each meet!  she made friends and she learned what being a dolphin means- camaraderie!

we didn't have a first place banner year, but we did have a year of amazing.  i am in awe.  i am proud. i am thankful and amazed and slightly sunburned from the past 5 months.

our swim career is clearly NOT over.  it has JUST BEGUN.

go dolphins!