May 4, 2014

OV Swim Races






We have this world class, Olympic quality aquatic center practically right in our back yard and I'm thrilled whenever Nicco has swim races there. This particular meet was a long course meet, meaning the lanes ran the 50 meter length of the pool, rather than the 25 meter width. Nicco is mostly accustomed to swimming 25s. He was nervous about the 50s because he doesn't like doing flip turns...too much pressure. Especially in the backstroke. He hasn't quite mastered his stroke count coming into the wall on his back to time the turn just right. He was happy when I told him there would be no flip turns, but somehow, there seemed to be an invisible wall at the 25 meter mark. The kids all slowed down at about that point. Long course, it turns out, is long.




We skipped the 8:00 warm-ups, since Nicco would only be swimming three races, starting at 11:00. I wanted him to get his little body wet and ready to jump in, so I took him to the splash pad. Then I had to remind him he was here for races.

He got some pre-race pointers and a pat on the noggin from his coach

Then dove on in for his first long course breaststroke race.

"That was hard-core!" he said. I believed him.

(It was a bright, beautiful day!)

I love the water in this picture as he pushed in to the wall.

His cap pulls his hair. That's one reason why I made him get wet in the splash pad.

Wet hair doesn't stick and pull as much.

My boy isn't the fastest racer, that competitive drive has not quite kicked into a higher gear, but he has great form these days. I think that's good for him, to develop his stroke technique, then when he decides he can swim fast, he'll be efficient at it.

I'm always proud of my little fish. He works hard, even when he'd really rather just play video games.