Swim Meets

Although Elizabeth has been swimming for 3 years,  2015 was her first summer to compete and then we continued into the school season.  You can pick and choose the meets that you want to attend, so it can take up as much or little time as you want.  We did one meet in November and then our location hosted a meet in December.  Districts are coming up in March and she has the qualifying times, but not the meet requirements.  We discussed it with her and she said she wants to do as many meets as she can and so that lead us to register her a meet this weekend and next so that she will be able to swim districts.

Being none of our family has any experience with competitive swimming this has all been an eye opener.  I compare a Saturday swim meet to a dance recital.  You sit dressed in a gym for hours, waiting for your 3 minute routine.  Swimming, you sit in a gym, waiting for your event to be called.  She swims events in less than 30 seconds and usually swims 4-6 events.  And if there are dance moms, then you know there are swim moms too! Actually, everyone has been really nice and helpful as we navigate through these new waters.

This morning in particular the meet was an hour drive away.  Check-in was at 7:15, warm-ups at 7:30, meet starts at 8:45 (well 9:30 because there were computer glitches) = alarm went off really early! The teams pile into their designated holding zones (usually in a drafty gym) and make camp.  We just take chairs, a blanket and a bag of entertainment/food, but I was envious of the sleeping bag and pillow people today.  She was in a relay today so there wasn't a huge gap between warm-ups and her first event, but if she isn't in a relay it can be almost two hours before she is in the water again.  So you sit at your camp site, wait for your event number to be called so the swimmers can get organized in the bull pen and then you get to go into the pool area (which is usually very balmy) and watch their 30 seconds of fame.  And repeat this a few more times - maybe with a lunch break.


As she was getting showered after her last event today I told my mom that she must really love to swim because why else would you spend your entire Saturday doing this?! Yet, there we all were.  Grant is a trooper and Ima and Pops are usually there too!  We are happy to support her and are very proud of all she has accomplished.  She brought home 2nd place overall in the girls 8 and under 25 meter butterfly.  It may not be her favorite stroke to swim, but it is by far her best.  If she swims the medley relay she usually swims the fly leg.  Unfortunately her relay team had a disqualification, but she was a rock star on her leg, making up half of the pool length on her closest competitor.  She also got to swim the freestyle relay.  She typically swims the last leg of this and she really turned it on today.  As Pops likes to tell her "get angry with the water!".  Her breast and back stroke look really awesome they just aren't particularly fast...but when she decides she wants to go all out, she does!  I am really looking forward to summer swimming and having fresh air and sunshine.  Most of all it is just a pleasure to watch her be so comfortable in the water - even if that means we are uncomfortable most of the day.  It is all worth it, because you would do anything for your kids!

The best way to describe her swimming, is with the quote I put on her ribbon holder...."I sparkle in the water".

(and no pictures because I need to "manage the storage" on my phone!)