A whale of a time

OUR FAMILY is involved with the local summer swim club, the Abby Whalers. Our kids are swimming lengths and doing drills in the outdoor pool for one hour each day from the end of April to the middle of August, then they compete in regional swim meets on various weekends throughout the summer. Ugh! No wonder we have felt so busy.

We did not join swim club because our kids were begging us to join. I would like to tell you that they all absolutely love practicing daily and there is nothing else they’d rather be doing, but alas, I need to keep it real.

As soon as I mention it’s time to load up and head to the pool, a few of our chicklets protest and plead with me to skip swimming. On the other hand, a few love it and are suited up with their cap and goggles even before I say it’s time to go. For example, before Lucy was old enough to join the club she would put her bathing suit on under her clothes to go and watch her older siblings poolside just hoping the coaches would ask her to come and swim.  While some are reluctant and some are keen they can all tell you why we joined.

We joined swim club because we recognize swimming as a lifelong skill. It’s a gift to be a strong swimmer and to be comfortable in and around  water. Swimming is a sport that has great health benefits and provides great conditioning for all age groups, skill and fitness levels. It also provides many opportunities for fun, fitness, discipline, teamwork, friendship, recreation and competition and achieving personal bests. It is a sport we can participate in as a family. Rather than driving one kid to this rink, another to this field, gym or studio across town we just pull up to the pool and hang out for the day. And it is also a sport where when I watch my 6 swimmers (5 kids & my hubby) I beam with pride.

Even though some of our kids say they don’t want to go, I see them search for me in the bleachers and wave. I behold their smiling faces and watch their bodies dive off the blocks and flow across the pool and I know we are all having a whale a good time.