Swim Team

Ken and I have been pushing Bryn to try the swim team at the Germantown Cricket Club. We've asked her to attend two practices and the first "mini meet" for girls 8 and under before making a decision about continuing with it -- or not. The first practice was this past Tuesday, and none of us knew what to expect. We got to the pool a half hour early, and while playing UNO in the lounge, we met another 6-year-old, Beatrice, who is also new to the swim team. Beatrice joined us for cards, and after practice, Beatrice sought us out and asked to play UNO again, so I'm hopeful that Bryn is already making friends through her participation in the swim team. As for the practice itself, the team did so much swimming! Bryn must have swum 8 lengths of the pool. She was very reluctant every step of the way, and she didn't want to do a relay because she didn't want to race. Bryn doesn't like to lose. But we assured her that this was just practice, and all she needed to do was swim one length of the pool when it was her turn. She wanted me next to her the entire practice, so poor Luke wasn't able to swim as I'm not comfortable with him swimming without a watchful set of eyes on him. Bryn, who knows how to dive, also refused to dive into the pool whenever it was her turn to swim.
After practice, the kids and I ate in the lounge -- in front of the television -- with my friend Julie's younger daughters, Marissa and Naomi. Then we went back to the pool, and this time Luke got to go in as well. Bryn and Luke must have jumped off the diving board 20 times. In all we were at the club more than 3 hours, and between playing UNO and eating in front of Disney TV, there was a lot of fun sandwiched around the swim practice.
Tonight, Thursday night, Ken took Luke to Little Gym, and I took Bryn to her second swim practice. After having experienced practice once, Bryn wasn't at all reluctant to participate tonight. During her practice I talked to some of the other parents and wasn't at Bryn's side at all times. I'm hoping that next time I can leave her at practice so I can attend to Luke. I was especially proud of Bryn when she asked the lifeguard running the practice which lane she should be in for the relay. Sometimes Bryn has a tendency to remain reticent even if she has a question about what she should be doing. She also raised her hand confidentantly when the lifeguard asked, "Who can swim breast stroke?"

And look at her freestyle:

I caught her skipping as she made her way from one end of the pool to the other, and Bryn's skipping is always a positive sign. After practice we once again ate dinner in front of the TV (the snack bar by the pool doesn't open until this weekend) and then went back to the pool. This time, without so many eyes on her, she attempted diving off the high starting platform. And she did a beautiful job! So I'm hopeful that she does so at the next practice, and maybe even at the first meet on Tuesday.

Check back next week for a report on the first Mini Meet...