Hello Gators!

Thanks to everyone who came out last night for our first meet of the season!  We swam hard and beat Chadwyck.  For those who remember swimming against Chadwyck in the Tri-County days, I'm not sure Glenridge ever came out with a win.  It was a fun night to be a Gator!

 Whether home or away, the first real swim meet of the season always comes with a bit of a learning curve.  The kids, especially the young or new ones, experience a lot all happening at once.  The noise of the speakers and the cheering, the crowded pool deck, navigating a new bullpen and adjusting to a new pool can be an overwhelming experience.  If your child was nervous or scared last night - those feelings are totally normal.  Sometimes it takes a minute to adjust to the flow of a meet night scenario.  Last night was all about setting a benchmark for the season.  Always remember, our number one goal is for every swimmer to have fun.  Our second goal is to try and get a little better each day.

We had a number of break out performances!  Clint Waters powered through his backstroke for the entire length of the pool!  Madison Owles and Ward Fisher did their first flip turns at a meet!  Arden told me she had the best time!  Henry Webster swam his first 100IM!  Reynolds Peacock swam in his first summer league race! We had so many more than I could gush about. The joy from the kids was radiant!  As a parent and a swim coach, it was awesome to see.

Summer league swimming is the quintessential community recreational sport in the summer.  It blends social interaction with the accessibility to compete at various skill levels and age groups without an overriding pressure to perform.  From our tiniest kids to our biggest kids, everyone is out on the pool deck together learning about so much more than swimming.  Kids are learning how to swim but they are also learning about how to interact with others in a group.  Kids are learning what it means to cheer for teammates and what it means to be a good sport.  Kids are learning how to handle adversity.  Big kids, who may not remember what it is like to be little, are learning how to teach and interact with our young swimmers.  The big kids are also learning what it feels like to teach a skill to a smaller child and take pride in watching that smaller child learn and adapt to what is taught.  It is a special time in any child's summer experience.

Our teenage coaches are an important part of this team.  They are learning every day they are on deck.  Like all children, they can also make mistakes.  Sometimes they lean into the social interaction part of summer league a bit more than what we, as parents, feel is appropriate.  In those instances, we redirect focus and move forward with our goal of always being a little better each day.

With so many kids on deck this year, I am asking parents to have open communications with our coaches about their child's progress.  If you feel your child needs extra help with a particular skill or stroke, please talk to Sydney, myself (if I'm on deck) or any of our coaches.  They all love working with your kids - otherwise they wouldn't be here.  Our coaches try to focus each practice based around the needs of a larger group.  During evening practice from 6:15-7:00, we will have small group sessions for those swimmers 10 and under who might need a little extra help with certain strokes.  Each evening, Sydney will post on a white board what coaches will be available that evening for small group work.

I try to be on deck when I can, but as my kids get older they have acquired more activities that pull me away from being at the pool as much as I have been over the past few summers.  The time I spend working on this team is about as much, if not more, than it has been in years past.  This is a community based team that my family and I are proud to be a part of.  I am asking all parents to be a positive influence on the culture of this team.  If there is a change you would like to see, a request is always welcome over a complaint.  If any parent wants to make a change by getting involved in volunteering on deck, we always welcome a helping hand from those that seek to make this team the best experience it can be for all of our kids.

Let's keep swimming, learning and (above all) having fun!

Go Gators!!

Karen