This is our last week of swim team and the kids have worked hard this summer. Swim team is a commitment. Practice is every single day since the middle of May (well, weekends off). The kids have done an awesome job and work really hard.
Once upon a time ago, I was a cheerleader. I thought I knew a thing or two about cheerleading but evidently I missed some lessons. Did you know that cheers are performed at swim meets? It is the most awkward thing EVER!! The kids even run through a breakthrough. Ha! That's awkward too because remember you are not supposed to run at a pool. Ha! Here is a small sample of an awkward swim team cheer........
Jillian participates in the freestyle and backstroke. She is very studious and precise with her arm strokes. So precise that at the first couple of meets, she really didn't seem to understand that this was a race. Speed was not in her vocabulary.
This boy participated in freestyle, backstroke and a boys 100m relay. He is the only 5 year old on the team. At the beginning of the season, the boy could barely get across the pool. It made me so nervous. The coaches didn't give him any slack for being young and now he can go up and down the lanes of the pool without breathing hard. It is amazing!!!
From the beginning, Rocco clearly understood the meaning of a race. The first meet he zoomed off the blocks and impressed everybody. He earned ribbons for every single race. (He could work on his dive a little bit. Ha!!)
During the 3rd meet, they earned their "sharks." They were THRILLED!!!
This girl has been a trooper. Each swim practice is an hour. Each swim meet is about 4-5 hours long. It is hot and at times very boring waiting for a 30 second race. She has been so good cheering for bubba and sissy. We read books, play her computer, and play on Momma's phone. Most importantly, she talks to every other mommy at practice and makes sure she knows their name and all their kids names. She entertains everyone while we wait.
Rocco ready to go.
After several meets where Rocco earned ribbons and Jillian didn't, she finally got that speed was a factor in swimming. It lit a fire in that girl and she started swimming fast! Nothing like a little sibling rivalry!!!!!
Finally my big girl earned ribbons in every.single.race and earned a spot on the girls relay team. She has improved every single meet. So proud of her!!!
Finally last night, Rocco had his under 6 mini-championship. The boy totally understood that this was the time to shine. I have NEVER seen him swim like that and he rocked it! He won 2nd in freestyle and 2nd in backstroke. His relay team got 4th.
This is Roc with his amazing coaches - Lucy, Katelyn and Caitlyn.
And his sisters were right there cheering on their bubba!!!! When we were driving home, Rocco said if I could win stuffed animals at all the swim meets, I would have tried a lot harder. Nothing like a little extrinsic motivation!!! Ha!!
Both kids have qualified for the end of the year championships on Friday. We have to be at the pool at 6:45 in the morning. WHAT????? So silly!!! Then we will be done! And let me just say that everybody will be very happy to be done!!!!
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