Swim Team

I have had someone on swim team for the past 15 years.  It has been a great experience for all my children.  They may not be the fastest swimmers on the team but they are all good, strong swimmers.  It has been well worth the effort.  When they were younger and I desperately sought out camps to keep them busy during the summer we worked around the swim team practices.   As they got older they figured out that I was signing them up for camps based on carpools and length of camp (6 hours rather than 1-1/2 hours).  So they scaled back their camp attendance, which worked out ok because by then they could entertain themselves for more than 20 minutes.  One thing I never compromised on was swim team.  We insisted they participate.  

Our team practices in the morning and again in evening.  The swimmers can attend any and all practices.  I highly encourage anyone with young children to get them involved in a swim team.  It has taken the place of camps (they can go to practice and then hang out at the pool).  I don't want to give myself a false sense of security but I feel much more comfortable when my children are around water.  

Anyone who has been involved in swim team knows that it takes a huge amount of work by all the parents involved.  Our children swim at a private pool (sort of like a subdivision pool).  We did swim at the country club for a time but their friends were at the other pool so we switched back.  At the country club we did have less work.  

This year I am the parent rep.  Quite frankly, I just don't understand parents who won't help.   Like most parents, I have worked swim events while pregnant, gotten a baby sitter for a toddler because hubby was traveling.  I was able to be the parent rep this year because my children are self sufficient.  When they are little you just have to figure it all out.   

Last night we had four parents decide they were not going to work the meet.  Luckily we have some great parents who are willing to step in for these slackers.    After we found subs one of  the parents showed up (15 minutes into the meet).  We sent him to his job and he was quite upset.  Apparently he wanted to sit and watch the meet with some friends (like he has done the past 3 meets).  One mom whose job it was to help with clean-up after the meet (15 minutes tops) said she had to leave because she has 3 children!!!

Okay so that is off my chest.