Sam the SWIMMER!

   The pool has been his happy place this summer.  At the beginning of the summer, keep in mind it's still only June 16th, Sam couldn't swim more than 5 feet without grabbing on to the rope or the wall.  We had heard many friends say that swim team was the best thing for teaching youngsters to swim--I have to agree.  We signed him up for the swim team thinking it may help him learn how to swim.   He has already far exceeded my expectations.  At practice every night, he swims in the lap lane, but one of the coaches is always in the water with him helping him.  He was stopping on the rope or wall every 4-5 feet.  It takes a long time to make it across the pool when you stop that often!  

     At Sam's first meet, he walked in and started to panic and cry.  He absolutely did NOT want to swim in front of all those people!  For the first time, he wasn't interested in racing anyone---I think partly because he knew he would never win and partly because there were so many people watching.  He cried the whole way up to the podium.  I hated it.  I wanted to just scoop him up and tell him he didn't have to do it.  Alan talked to him about his own fears when he races and that seemed to help get him at least to the lane where his coaches would take over the encouragement.  Alan and his coaches must have said something right, because somehow Sam made it to the podium and jumped in the pool.

     The announcer said, "Swimmers, take your mark, ready, set..."  and the horn went off.  My focus was fixed completely on Sam and I could hardly believe my eyes.  Sam swam the ENTIRE LENGTH of the pool without stopping once!!!  HE DID IT!!!  HE DID IT!!!  We were so proud of him!  Here is a picture of him after that first swim all the way across the pool.