Rookie Camp

awards for completing rookie camp

warning: this entry may come across as containing some bragging... forgive me, but I want to preserve the memories of my kids first swim team experiences!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do... When in Texas, swim as the Texans do... It seems like most kids down here swim for several seasons of swim team... we're taking our turn, and loving it!

We started with Rookie Camp, a week long preview to swim team, filled with lessons and lots of laps for beginning kiddos. I didn't commit to more, nor did I tell my kids there could be more to come. Because they both enjoyed it so much and seemed to be learning so much, I told them we could keep going.

Sophia was so excited and didn't think twice about devotion and commitment to her favorite sport.

Porter, on the other hand, had second thoughts. He has really good days and really bad days. We had a little chat about attitude, and how if we think it's going to be a terrible day, it will be, and if we think it's going to be an awesome day, it will... I think it kicked in. The next day when I asked him what kind of day he was going to have he yelled... an awesome one

But when Porter heard Sophia was going to keep swimming after rookie camp, he decided that he ought to too... Phew, If we're going to be there, I'd much rather have both of them swim.

Porter learned the backstroke the other day. He looked like he was drowning out there, but he kept trying (we have the "you can do hard things" talk often) and all of the sudden in his own words "it just clicked mom!" and he swim half the length in the backstroke. Go Porter!

Sophia is so small that the coach had her doubts about how Sophia would do. But Sophia jumped in and took off swimming, surprising all who were watching her. I love to watch Sophia swim. She is the slow one, but come on, her legs aren't very long! However she is so happy, every time she come up for a breath, she has a big smile on her face. While she's kicking along on her kick board... big smile... While she's holding onto the wall... big smile. While the teacher is helping her with her technique... Big smile. It just makes me happy to watch! Today she jumped off the block and everyone marveled at her bravery. She can definatly be gutsy when she wants to be!

We practice every day after school for half an hour. Porter is better behaved for me when we get home from swimming then he has been all year coming home after school. I think it's because he's immediately expending his pent up energy and frustrations from the day during his laps. I pick him, we rush to the pool, and he changes in the car.

I decided not to do the meets, I'm feeling a little guilty about it. But we're leaving the beginning of June for my brother's wedding, and we will miss half of the meets. I told my kids next year they could swim in the meets, and they seemed to be fine with it. I hope that the daily practice will help them to become better swimmers and I hope they keep having fun with it. It's hard work they do every day, all of those laps! But, in case you can't tell, I'm so proud of them and their effort!