River City Swim Championships 2012

We have been anticipating this past weekend since Annie started swimming!  She started swimming in May and took to it immediately and seemed to pick up the strokes very quickly!  We were amazed at how well she did at all the meets! Dan had to install a row of hooks over her bed for all her ribbons she has won!  We were warned that Annie might be overwhelmed by all the mass hoopla of the championships.  I have been very nervous about it all.  I kept telling her it wasn’t about winning as much as doing your best and having fun!  Yeah, I can hear Dan saying in my head, “If your not first your last….(rick bobby)” But seriously, she has only been swimming for three months and she just turned 7.  

We got on the road and halfway there I realized I forgot to eat lunch and forgot to feed Annie.  What???  Thank God Annie had given me a massive list of snacks to bring so she was OK.  We thought we timed everything out good but then the Matthews Bridge was closed. We also hit a traffic jam.  I was starting to panic that we would be late but we got there right on time and I was relieved. It was almost an hour of driving to get there.

We arrived and found our BAC tent and Coach Paul welcomed us and pointed out where everything was located on the grounds of Cecil Aquatic Center. Annie warmed up and we waited for the call for her event.  We got her checked in and rushed around the building to watch her swim.  I thought Dan was going to cry.  Her best stroke that she has won many ribbons for is the backstroke.  If she cut just a second off, she could have placed!  Bless her heart, she got a late start.  She said she could hardly hear the whistle. She swam like crazy and caught up but didn’t cut the time she needed :(  Dan was visibly upset and so was I. We found our girl and thank God she was unfazed.  I love that about Annie.  She is typically very steady and calm.  She seemed more concerned about getting back to our tent and getting her promised fruit snacks!!  Apparently that is the secret to successful racing! :)

We were trying to stay cool under the tent and I glanced up and saw the most wonderful sight, John and Carrie Wyatt walking towards us!  Now that is true friendship.  A swim meet is something you typically do only if you have a kid swimming due to the sheer chaos and heat!!  They said they wanted to cheer Annie on and they certainly did! She swam her best breastroke time!! I ran into a friend, Lisa, who has three boys swimming and that was so fun to catch up!  She keeps up with me and my tribe through the blog so it has motivated me to get with it and start posting again!!  It was a great first day!

 

On Sunday she had to be there at 7:30, which meant a 6:30 departure.  I drove separate so I could disperse the Wog kids at a more descent hour.  I arrived right when Annie was finishing warm-ups! I ran into my childhood best friend Paulette’s sister Dee Dee.  She is a swim coach and her kids swim for the Wahoos!!  We had a great chat and it was a special treat to see her! 

Annie’s first event was her 50 Freestyle and we were so excited! She moved up in the advanced group about three weeks ago and is swimming a lot more so we were hoping she would have more endurance. She shaved off 6 seconds off her time and even got a high five from Coach Bob!  We found out that she was swimming the backstroke on her relay team and I was so happy.  It would give her another chance at her best stroke! She was also going to swim on a relay for the freestyle.  She started the relay and swam her heart out and gave us a nice start and we ended up winning!!  

Later, while she was having her secret weapon snack of fruit snacks, one of her coaches said hi to her.  Annie hid her head and acted so shy.  She really likes Sara who is one of the best BAC swimmers and works with Annie’s group at the pool.  After she recovered, she gave Sara a hug and couldn’t wait to show her the first place relay ribbon!  Sara did awesome in her race and was the 1^st runner up for the whole city!!  Annie really loves being on the relay teams.  I am working with her trying to her to be friendlier. What little 7/8 year old girls don’t have much to say??  I guess Annie!! I know she is shy but I told her there is a thin line between rude and shy.  She needs to at least say hello!!  

She did great on her freestyle and it was time for her reward for swimming so hard, a JUMBO shaved ice!  She got to tell Coach Dunbar thank you and goodbye and her response was this, “NO, thank YOU!  It was such a joy to watch you swim!!” I thank God for the day I ran into Coach Cynthia in Kmart and shared with her about Annie's joint issues and how we needed to start her swimming.  I just know it was not an accident that my dear Young Life friend was a beginner swim coach!  That was a God-ordained divine appointment.  Annie loved every minute of championships! She didn't act nervous or uptight at all! (unlike her parents! :) This summer has been a life changing one for Annie.  She has gained self-confidence from her new skill and I am sure all this swimming is keeping her joints strong!!  God has a plan for every child and I think that is the biggest challenge for parents is to help them figure out what that is!  I really believe Annie has found her calling! It's a perfect fit for her calm, competitive, self!  I am really proud of Annie. She listens and does what her coaches say.  She hasn’t complained one time except if she has to miss a day swimming!  I pray that the Lord will continue to bless her dedication and commitment with many wins and good times swimming!!   It is pretty funny that my ginger self hangs out by the pool almost daily!!  Thank God for sunscreen!!!