“Swimmers take your mark, get set, go!” A couple of summers growing up, I took part in a summer swim team. I will forever remember the green and white team colors, the learning of the strokes, the challenge of swimming, the aspiring to something new, especially the butterfly! I remember the discipline of practices, outdoor picnics on summer evenings at the pool, growing in confidence and competence, and the sense of being part of a team and a community.
I valued this so much, that when our family moved to the Chattanooga area on a Saturday in late May a couple of years ago, my older two children were at the first swim team practice early that Monday morning. Being a swim team parent is reminiscent of some of those childhood memories as well as the making of new ones. Our local pool is especially chilly, and the dear swim team moms who volunteer to run the program greeted my kids — both new to the community and to the swim team experience — with warm hot chocolate as they finished their first swim practice. It was so cold after those early morning practices that kids adorned bathrobes after swimming laps, seeking to warm up. My children began to make acquaintances and friends as they showed up each day for practice. Mornings I was not working, I lingered at the pool and relaxed as I watched with a cup of coffee in my hand on days my toddler was not with me, and on days she was with me, I chased her all over while her older siblings practiced. Practice upon practice, my kids began to conceptualize the four strokes, meet other children, and rise up to the competitive challenge of showing up and doing their best.
What I Love Most
I love the sense of community that happens when children and families, coaches, and volunteers gather around the pool. I love that you can be as serious about it as you want to be or you can take it more casually, opting out of practice every single day or some of the meets. I appreciate the understanding that some people are drawn to it less for competition, but simply for learning, exercise, growth, and community. I love seeing children become more brave as they face something that can be intimidating and hard. I love the encouragement of older kids to younger kids and of the coaches to the whole team. I love the rhythm it gives to our days especially when my kids are able to attend morning practices. I love the exercise and strength they develop through practicing. I love seeing them be a part of a team and simply being more connected to the community as a whole. This connection is for children and parents alike as parents cheer on their children alongside other parents.
Like many athletics, as well as activities in general, part of what makes the experience is the tone that the coaches and leaders set for the kids. Are they warm and encouraging in the midst of the challenge of growing stronger and faster? Overall, our experience has been one of both warmth and growth, and one that draws our kids back summer after summer to those chilly, mountain waters. And what a full circle moment indeed that my kids are adorned in green and white just like I was so many years ago.
