The Buoyancy of Mini Red
I signed her in and sent her off to wait on the bleachers in the swim area. She quickly made a friend, as she always does. About the time they gathered the kids there was a meeting for the parents. I felt like a deer in headlights since this swimming is all so new to me but this is something Mini Red really wants to do. So as a Mom I want to give her this.
I really feel she needs experience with sports and to be active. Flag Football never really panned out and she was dancing on the field because she never really got it. Basketball… she never got it either. With football and basketball I had a hard time watching, especially basketball. I played basketball through High School and even though I wasn’t very good I really tried and I loved the game. It was obvious Mini Red only played basketball to hang with her friends. At the first basketball game I was the only Mom yelling because the others didn’t know the game… at all. I got them all yelling at least “DEFENSE!” and “GET YOUR ARMS UP GIRLS” by the end of the season.
After that first basketball game I was so tense I just wanted to go home and have a beer. After the last game the entire team and parents went for pizza and all the parents had beers. You want your child to do well but you can’t control everything. You have to let them do their thing no matter how bad it might be. So quite often during the swim team try-outs I had to walk away or I might have started yelling out instructions like I did during her basketball games.
At the parent meeting I learned that they would make recommendations as to which level each child belonged. They even mentioned Swim Montgomery for those who need work on their swimming skills. I also learned the cost of swim team and I nearly slipped outta my chair but I composed myself. I had done some calculations, in my head, and was trying to figure a way to afford this since this is something Mini Red really wanted. After the parent meeting I called Mom and told her the price and she nearly yelled when she said, “What! That’s crazy! You can’t afford that and you will just have to tell her no.”
She was right so I headed back in to watch Mini Red swim some more. They had the kids doing the butterfly and Mini Red had never done that but damn if she didn’t give it her all and smiling the whole time. I knew she wouldn’t make swim team so I checked out Swim Montgomery on the board. This would be perfect! Twice a week and they help them reach the skill set necessary for swim team. Plus… I could afford this and she will get exercise and do what she loves to do… swim.
Swim Montgomery is just what they recommended. If she had made swim team and I had to deny her then I don’t know what other program I could have put her in. This couldn’t be more perfect. The next step is to actually get IN. To get IN we have to be at the aquatic center on Monday morning at 6am. Mini Red went a bit wide eyed about the time but when I asked her if this program is what she wanted she gave me a big “YES”. I pointed out that we should be able to sign up and get her back to her bus stop and still be on-time for school and maybe if we get signed up quick enough I can get her a treat for breakfast. Mini Red had the biggest smile on her face and that’s all I needed.
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