It started with an offer for a free swim cap when she was 8.
I’m not even sure how she heard about it, but anyone joining the Gator Swim Club got one. I cringe a little to think how my mom had me wear a cap a few times in the neighbor’s pool and I hated it – how can anything that pulls your hair, squeezes your head and makes your head feel like a swamp be a good thing? But she wanted one. Little did we know this cap would be her initiation into 6 years of year round club swimming for Amanda. She became a backstroker. Have you ever watched a backstroker??? Try looking up at the ceiling and walking around your living room…. as fast as you can! (while wearing a head -squeezing swim cap!) How do they do that??? But, she swam well enough to qualify in several events at State and Sectional levels, even one fleeting race at Senior Sectionals where she swam in a meet that included some Olympic swimmers; followed by 4 years of Varsity high school swimming and 2 years as Captain. It always amazed me how she would respond to her racing. It was never a big deal when she swam well or bad. She never appeared to love swimming, but she committed to it because she knew how to do it well enough. In 10 years of swimming, I only saw her upset twice – once when she was penalized for
missing a race and it disqualified her from her next race and another time when she swam the backstroke in an outdoor pool for the first time and she kept running into the lane lines because she had no ceiling beams to guide her straight. Now, dozens of suits, goggles, meets, towels, and swim caps, it's over. She swam her last race yesterday at the high school district swimming championships. It was her 100 backstroke. And it was a personal best time – something she hadn’t done in 2 years with that race. She actually squealed with joy, and did the happy dance, and at the same time, admitted she was sad that it was over ……. but I’m sure she will take with it many lessons and friends that she collected along the way.
I’m not even sure how she heard about it, but anyone joining the Gator Swim Club got one. I cringe a little to think how my mom had me wear a cap a few times in the neighbor’s pool and I hated it – how can anything that pulls your hair, squeezes your head and makes your head feel like a swamp be a good thing? But she wanted one. Little did we know this cap would be her initiation into 6 years of year round club swimming for Amanda. She became a backstroker. Have you ever watched a backstroker??? Try looking up at the ceiling and walking around your living room…. as fast as you can! (while wearing a head -squeezing swim cap!) How do they do that??? But, she swam well enough to qualify in several events at State and Sectional levels, even one fleeting race at Senior Sectionals where she swam in a meet that included some Olympic swimmers; followed by 4 years of Varsity high school swimming and 2 years as Captain. It always amazed me how she would respond to her racing. It was never a big deal when she swam well or bad. She never appeared to love swimming, but she committed to it because she knew how to do it well enough. In 10 years of swimming, I only saw her upset twice – once when she was penalized for
missing a race and it disqualified her from her next race and another time when she swam the backstroke in an outdoor pool for the first time and she kept running into the lane lines because she had no ceiling beams to guide her straight. Now, dozens of suits, goggles, meets, towels, and swim caps, it's over. She swam her last race yesterday at the high school district swimming championships. It was her 100 backstroke. And it was a personal best time – something she hadn’t done in 2 years with that race. She actually squealed with joy, and did the happy dance, and at the same time, admitted she was sad that it was over ……. but I’m sure she will take with it many lessons and friends that she collected along the way.
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