Swim Team!

The kids had a blast being on our neighborhood swim team this summer! The final meet was last night at Warner Park, between our team, Hidden Harbor, Holly Hills and Mountain Shadows. It was a very exciting night with a lot of great, close races to watch. It was the kids favorite meet of the year because it was at night (it was cooler and they got to stay up way past their bedtime) and it had the best concession stand. Shelby has amazed me this year. She went from doing the kickboard races at the beginning of the season to racing freestyle the whole length of the pool without stopping! We have Alyssa, one of the sweetest teenagers in our neighborhood to thank. She was so good at teaching Shelby this summer. I just love how our neighborhood comes together and helps each other out during practices. Cooper has learned all the strokes this year and says his favorite is butterfly and second fav is freestyle (just like his Mommy). Cooper almost beat an 8 year old in freestyle last night. He has a great dive! He just needs to work on his technique. He doesn't swim all the way in to the wall. He stops a few strokes before he should, then glides in to the wall. He has learned so much this year thanks to an awesome coach who volunteers at our pool, Coach Bart. Cooper loves him! We left early at around 9:30 after Cooper's final event, the freestyle relay, so we still haven't found out who won. Apparently our team has won for years and years, but Holly Hills got very close to beating us a couple times this year. At the break time in the middle of the meet, Head Coach Joe got the team together and chewed them out (but with a lot of very deliberate self-control) for not trying their hardest and being more concerned with the concession stand and playing with friends than swimming their best. He gave a great pep talk. Cooper thought it was very cool and he got his act together after that. I can't wait to hear what the final score was!

P.S. Our family had so much fun watching the U.S. Olympic swim trials. I especially loved seeing Dara Torres the 41 year old Mom of a two year old, win her race. She is the oldest female swimmer to qualify for the Olympics. She didn't just barely qualify either. She got first place and an American record in the 50 free! I can't wait to watch her race again! This is her fifth Olympics, and she even missed one Olympics. I am so inspired by her. It makes me want to get back into swimming! Hey, I'm just 35!

Shelby, with Coach Joe, getting ready to dive in for the free relay.

Shelby doing a great job swimming in the relay. She has learned to get her arms way up out of the water and keep her head in! She has great form! By the end of the year she was racing 6 year olds.

Cooper, Daniel and Rylie with their Hidden Harbor power dots!

Cooper doing his great dive in the free relay!

Cooper swimming freestyle against Jakey and Daniel.

Shelby's first race (at Hidden Harbor) when she went all the way across the pool without stopping. She was so excited she won her heat!