Swim Team

Several weeks ago I signed Haley up for a local youth swim team.  The only criteria was that the child needed to be able to freestyle one lap with ease.  Well, Haley couldn't really do that.  We practiced a bit, but when Monday (the first day of swim team) rolled around she still wasn't able to do it.  So the swim team coach put her in a parks and rec group lesson for the week to "practice" and then she could tryout again on Friday.  I spent every morning leaving that pool in complete frustration.  I'll go ahead and say, I hate parks and rec group swim lessons!!  I feel that kids spend more time hanging off the wall then actual swimming!  I also feel that time (they only have 30 minutes) is just not enough when you have class with 6 kids.  Your kid will probably only get 5 minutes of good, solid practicing in.  In my opinion, I would drop the cash for private lessons then put my kid in those group lessons!  But I had to just go with it when they put Haley in the group lesson for the week, and just pray that she would be able to swim a lap by Friday...even though, I might add, they never even practiced doing the freestyle once during her lessons!!  See what I mean?!  Frustrating!  Just a lot of wall hanging.  Gah!!

So this morning was the big day.  She was motivated and ready to go!  Could she do it?!  

 Group huddle before practice.

Gonna make it, gonna make it.

She swam her little heart out...really she did.  Every time she took a breath she took it facing the bleachers, I would be sitting there giving her a thumbs up.  

Well, she didn't quite make it across.  Darn it!  But, she continued through the practice all smiles, happy as can be.  I think she was really loving being a part of a team...plus, she really can't wait to get her own team swim cap.  So, for the rest of the practice I couldn't bare the thought of the coach telling her she didn't qualify... but I knew it was coming.  

But at the end of practice the coach never seeked me out to deliver the bad news.  So I went up to her and just very casually asked, "So, we're good?"  And low and behold, she was...Haley made the team!!  We were thrilled!!  

So my question is...If they were going to take Haley regardless if she was able to swim a lap or not, why did they put her in those horrid group lessons for the week that did absolutely NOTHING to prepare her?!  

I guess I'll never know.