Swim Team

Colin is on the swim team this year. He was so excited for months.  And loves practices. Never complains - always wants to go - with tball and soccer he would complain about practice and only want to do the games.  He is a "guppy" which is for the little kids who haven't been on the team.  They practice in the shallow end 3 days a week.  After the first two days of practice they moved him up into the regular lane. And I wasn't surprised. He is one of the best guppies there.  Colin was so excited to be in his friend Austin's lane that all day he couldn't wait.  They hadn't had practice for a few days due to rain. Then when it came time to practice I've never seen a more terrified look on his face.  We kept him in the whole time and he was just as good as the other kids in that lane but would just cling to the rope or wall when he needed to breathe. He was afraid to go over the deep end.  And he was trying to do everything the coach said.  It is so hard for me - especially after being a swim coach - to not force him to swim or do what I want. Part of me wanted to keep him in that lane since I know he could do it but I took him out of the lane and put him back in guppies.  And he's much happier.  I would LOVE for him to be in the lane and swimming all the meets but I want him to love swimming. He is actually learning all the techniques in the guppies - like what a streamline is and tips like dolphin kick when your coming off the wall for backstroke.  So that part I really like.  We just came back from time trials.  Poor thing - first day of summer vacation and everyone was sound asleep and I had to wake him up - or really poor mommy :)  He didn't want to swim but he got an idea of what a meet looks like. So maybe one meet this year - they only have 4 which is crazy to me but now he has a goal to work on in practice. And I must say I love going in to kiss him at night after he's asleep and smelling the chlorine on him. Baths are now optional now that the pool is open :)