s Swim Team last summer and my youngest started this summer. So I have had the chance to experience a full year of HYV swimming. We have had a great year and love the sport.When I was growing up I was a really into ski racing and always hoped my kids would follow that route. However with the closing of Mt. Tom my dreams of the next Picabo Street were dashed. The kids started taking lessons at the Y very early. This was done for safety but more importantly when they know how to swim I can sit on the beach and watch instead of living in the water. The swim lessons were awesome and soon my oldest started watching the team as they started practice. Soon she was told she could swim well enough to join the team.
I was nervous when she started. I really did not think she was ready but Carrie the Aquatics director assured me that she could do it. Her improvement was amazing and soon she was entering her first race. My youngest went through the same routine this summer and is also coming along well. Her favorite part is swimming with Randy on Wednesday’s. It is a smaller group and they really have a fun time while learning a lot.
There are a lot of things great with this program. At the 8 and under level they stress the basics. It is not very different from my ski racing training. Learn the basics and the speed will come. They are led by Coach Carrie (different from the Carrie mentioned above) She also also teaches commitment and responsibility to the team for both the parents and the swimmers. My 7 yr old lectured me on this topic recently when I suggested that we miss the Championships to head to Nantucket. Not that I think a 7 yr old cannot miss a meet but if it is that important to her I will make it important for me. The coaching staff is top notch led by Randy Smith who has been coaching the team so long he is now coaching the children of kids he taught to swim.
The most important thing that I like about the HYV program is the quality of kids on the team. Every kid on that team has a strong character and great personalities. At a recent race at Springfield
College my oldest was swimming the breast stroke. This is a 50 m pool (Olympic size) and for my little kid it is a long way to the end. She is not the best swimmer in the pool as a matter of fact for the 50 m events she is usually DFL (dead F*#*# last) . We are still waiting for the speed to come. Everyone in her heat had finished and it was taking her a while yet every kid on her team was cheering her on from the side or at the end of the pool. When she saw all the older kids at the end of the pool she pushed herself to finish.
I grew up in Ma. so was sad to hear about MT.Tom.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a former swim team mom, I really appreciated competitive swimming for my 2 daughters. They weren't the fastest on the team but they could see their individual growth by the improvement of their times. My girls swam all the way through HS. They were life guards & swim instructors during the Summer. It was time consuming but very worth while for our family-lots of time together. ;)