Character

Here is my only photo from Ellen's first ever swim meet. Being a prepared mother, she was armed with extra suit, towel and goggles, cards, video game and healthy snacks. I had snacks, book, and writing implements for myself. And I had my camera. With enough battery left to get one photo. She is in pink in the far lane.

These kids have such courage. Some of them are 5 years old. They look Lilliputian atop the starting blocks. But when the buzzer sounds, they dive in and swim with all their 40 pounds of might. This meet grouped the youngest into the same heat. One little guy, who could not have been beyond 6, swam the 50 Butterfly. The other boys were a little older and taller and much stronger in that stroke. Some had finished the race when this little one reached his half-way point. It took him 2:34 to finish the race. He pulled himself out of the pool very matter-of-factly. He didn't look sad that he was last by a mile. He looked as though he did the best that he could and that was all he needed. It may have helped that he practically received a standing ovation when he touched the wall.

This was all new to Ellen, too. She finished the 10 and under (10U) 50 Freestyle in 54.58 and was 6th of 9 on her team. 5th place edged her out by .05 seconds. She also swam 10U 100 Back, where she finished 3rd of 4 on her team at 2:06.59. 10U is difficult. It is the youngest age division and obviously includes brand new swimmers. There are also experienced athletes. We have a 9 year old on our team who has been swimming competitively for 5 years and does a 50 Free in 32 seconds. But the great thing about swimming is that you can always compete against your personal best.

I have to say that I didn't witness any nastiness from any swimmers, parents or coaches. We all cheered for the stragglers. The swimmers cheered their teammates. The more experienced competitors shared tips with the novices. And our 9 year old who blows everyone else on our team away cheered loudly for the opposition.