Swim Updates

When we started this new swim team I emailed back and forth with the coach. She was all about competing and I was all about my daughter being a young 6. She told me at the time that she would not have Rebekah compete "until she was ready." Imagine my surprise when I stumbled on the list of participants in the first of summer swim meet. Don suggested that I was talking about being ready emotionally when coach may have been talking about skill level. Either way I didn't think she was ready. Far from emotionally ready she was still not able to do a dive like the competition. 

We talked about this together, Don, me and coach, and decided we should have Rebekah come and be exposed. If she wanted to swim then she could. If not, then she wouldn't have too. I told her I wanted her to simply do the warm ups with the team. I then suggested to Don that he be the master mind behind the meet because Rebekah is much stronger with him and more emotional with me.

Some of her team mates tried to cheer her on. Love the good supportive group of girls she is with.

Turns out it didn't matter much. She got anxious upon entering the pool and tears flowed. It was a bad situation. She is young enough that she needed a hand to hold and she didn't get one. I thought we were done but eventually one of the team members talked her into going in with her. I ran in and pushed my way into an illegal seat where she could see me. On the bright side, no one made me move. I got a few shots.  

She looked pretty comfortable.

She even got brave enough to think about swimming the breaststroke heat but didn't know whether she could sit dive or not and balked at the task.

Back at practice she looks pretty good.

First time freestyle 50 meter length.

Breaststroke 50 meter

Her swim team group (10 and under).

Rebekah learning the kneel dive

Swimming a relay. Love the "go Rebekah" in the background

Before the second relay she fell and skinned her knee. Thought I would have to intervene but coach Jennifer had it under control. We love her.

We recently talked about swim. I told Rebekah that I didn't care if she ever competed. I just wanted her to learn to swim with great skill level, have confidence in herself, and make good friends. Sure hope this is the right place considering their great focus on competition. However, the coach spoke to me and Don a few days after the event. She mentioned what she would do differently next time to help Rebekah more. I feel pretty good about her plan and as long as she doesn't actually push my daughter into anything and lets her come as she is ready, I'm supportive.