This is a story about Toby, who as recently as August would NOT jump into
the deep end of a pool.
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| Swim buddies: Greta and Toby |
Toby was determined to join his brother on Swim Team this
year, although there were some tears and “I can’t do this!” during the first
week of practice. He decided (by this I
mean we compelled him) to stick with it, and within a month, his favorite
stroke was the BUTTERFLY (!) and his favorite swim meet event became the 25 yard Fly, which is one length of the pool.
Despite being DQ’d (disqualified) in his 25 Fly in a couple
of his early meets this fall, Toby decided (and by this I mean he talked about
giving up) to keep trying.
Some of
Toby’s early times, in seconds:
32.18 32.25 32.91
33.25
In other words, Toby set a leisurely – but consistent –
pace, swimming the length of the pool in approximately 33 seconds.
Then came January, when things became a little bit more
exciting:
25.42!
23.42!
23.36!!
Toby was pleased by swimming his personal best time in his most recent meet, and thrilled that he won this race and gets to compete in the YMCA
State Meet next weekend.
But.
There is another, more elusive, goal that Toby is most
desperately chasing. The final meet of the
YMCA Swim Team season is the Regional meet.
In order to swim at Regionals, a swimmer must qualify based on times.
The qualifying time for Toby’s age group in the 25 Fly is 21 seconds, or 2-1/2 seconds faster than Toby’s best time.
Coach PJ conducted Time Trials for swimmers who were close
to making regional times, something we parents in the viewing area found really hard to watch!
Toby’s time trial results: 21.94
With less than one second separating Toby from Regionals,
how would he react?
Watching through the
viewing window, I read the disappointment in his slumping shoulders and nervous
hands. I also saw him conference with
coach PJ and saw determination in his step as he bounded off to the locker
room.
More than once I have told Toby that it does not matter at
all to us whether he makes regional times.
I am so proud of him for mastering the butterfly, for
consistently making new personal best times, and for working hard.
He looked at me with this “oh ye of little faith” expression
and said with the utmost confidence, “Mom, I have one more time trial and one
last chance when I swim at the State Meet.
I really want to make Regional times!”
This is not actually the best part. The best part was watching Toby and his
teammates support one another as they took turns swimming their time trials.
As his friends swam, Toby was on the edge of the pool,
yelling, “Go! Go! Go!” Toby was one of the first to run over to the coach to
find out what the stopwatch said about his teammates’ trials. He literally bounced up and down, clapping
and cheering, when his buddy Becket made his times.
This amazing group of kids -- some of the youngest
girls and boys on the team -- have swum together all year in practice and on relay teams. They depend on
one another and push each other and themselves to swim better and faster – for the
team!
I don’t know if Toby can shave that one last second off his
race, and I doubt that it will matter to Toby in ten years that he either did
or did not go to YMCA Regionals when he was 8 years old.
Watching those time trials crystallized for me
what swim team has actually been about:
- finding joy and celebrating friends’ achievements,
- working hard together for a common goal, and
- interdependence: relying on – and being responsible
to – one's teammates.
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| Greta, Toby, and Charlie |
What Toby has learned in swim team this year will influence him well beyond the end of the season.
