Brendan competed in his first race -- the 25-yard 8 & under freestyle -- tonight.First, we had to do some waiting, as storms rolled in around 4:45, 15 minutes before warm-up time. We're five minutes from the pool, so we waited it out from home (even though Brendan reminded me that the coach said to come rain or shine). At the pool, the kids watched Dora the Explorer in the car while I checked in with the coach. The meet was delayed only 30 minutes, which was good news, but the clubhouse was chaotic with so many people and much confusion. Apparently, many swimmers from the opposing team were still on the road as power lines were down in our area. So traffic lights were out, causing the delays.
Around 6 p.m., warm-ups began and the meet started shortly thereafter. Brendan was in event six, which was excellent news. I didn't want to keep my other little ones at the pool too long. It was close to bedtime, after all.
After being "marshalled" for his heat, Brendan lined up with other swimmers in his heat (#3, lane 2).
Ryan, who was more than willing to participate in the team meeting and anything Brendan did, was disappointed that he wasn't also swimming. That didn't stop him from splashing in the puddles or getting into the little pool, fully clothed.
After sitting a few minutes, Brendan and his teammates moved behind the blocks. Such chaos! I must have been oblivious when I was swimming, or the parents did an awesome job. Brendan waited patiently and eventually told his dad to let him be. He had to prepare mentally, of course!
Finally, the race was on. Brendan didn't know what to do when the race started, so his competitors beat him off the blocks. But he used his arms the entire 25 (something he doesn't do in practice) and never grabbed the lane ropes or touched the pool bottom (something he always does in practice). What a fantastic first race! Ken, Ryan and Papa cheered from the sidelines while taking photos, and Kelsey and I cheered from the end of his lane. (He breathes butterfly-style, so he could see us the whole race.)
After the race, Brendan jumped out of the pool, no doubt experiencing an adrenaline rush. I was certain he'd be exhausted, but he was full of energy. He said, "That was fun!" Then he asked why the little kids only swim one event, and wanted to know when the next meet is. He doesn't want to miss it.
6 comments:
I only wish someone had taken a photo of Mom and Dad watching their oldest child swim his first meet! What a great moment.
Yeah! Way to go Brendan!!
There was pure joy on our faces. I know that is true!
OK, this is probably very tacky but the athlete in me has to ask ... what place did he finish in? (and please don't tell me "they don't keep track of places/scoring" or some such nonsense like that!)
If he got off the blocks late, I want to know if he was able to catch up and even surpass any of the other boys?!
Well, I wish I could answer this honestly but I can't. He received a fifth-place ribbon, yet Ken and I were certain he finished last in a heat of six boys. (And he wasn't in the only heat.) So we haven't figured out this one yet, and they don't post official results at the practices. We didn't stick around for the end of the meet to find out otherwise. At the next meet, I'll get more details!
OK, cool. My point was that it would be impressive if he got off the blocks late and still managed to catch up. Next time he'll probably be more aware of what the protocol is and have no problem. He's destined to be a great swimmer considering his lineage! He has no choice.
Next time, I'll be looking for video. Take some and post it on Google Video or YouTube. Your audience demands it.
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