The Start of Swimming
I started swimming when I was about 18 months old. I swam at children of the sea, a program that helps kids learn the basics of all four strokes. My first experience in the water was the mommy and me classes. My mom tells me that I didn’t like to get in the water at first, but once I was in it, it was hard to get me out.
I insisted that I would not get in unless Claire was there.
I finally got over that Claire wasn’t coming back. I continued with my lessons at Children of The Sea for a few years. During the summer, I would participate in a swim team that was at our local health club. Ever so often I go to the health club with my family to do certain activities and in the summer, we are sometimes there when the swim team is practicing. Now, I wouldn’t even consider that a swim team, its more of a time to play, with a few laps of swimming sprinkled in. This swim team was the birthplace of my swimming career.
My mom enrolled me into the Tualatin Hills Swim Team when I turned nine. I have been on the team ever since and I greatly thank her for signing me up for it. It has filled my life with joy and I have found that if I am ever stressed or feeling depressed or angry, that I can go to practice and all of those feeling will go away.
Swimming teaches me new things about myself as well as life lessons everyday. It has taught me to be disciplined. If I want to get better I have to work on the little things like my underwaters and technique of the stroke instead of being able to be so big that I can just power myself through the water. If I want to make those things a habit then I have to be disciplined about them. I have to do them every time an opportunity arrives.
The part about Claire is so sweet! I love how you had such a great connection with your swim coach. It's so great that you found something that you could be so serious about and still be swimming. I had no idea that swimming could teach you so much about life!
ReplyDeleteNate,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really great post and I love the fact that you chose to write about swimming. The part about your instructor, Claire, was so sweet and I thought it was a great touch. I think its great that you learn things about yourself and life lessons through swimming. This post really showed how committed and passionate you are about swimming and that really great. I have one question. What drives your passion for swimming? Keep up the great writing!
Your buddy,
Anika
Hey Nate,
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! It was really cool to follow your journey through swimming! I enjoyed reading about Claire as well. Who is your favorite pro swimmer? Do you have a swimming idol?
Much Love
Alex
Hi Nate that story is so sad. Do you know what Claire does now and do you every get to see her, and how did you get over the fact that Claire wasn't coming back? Nice story and the ending really summed in up.
ReplyDeleteEliot
Sup Nate,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post and your detail with the experience. The part about Claire is funny, but good you got over it. I like how you described the first program you went to. I also liked how you talked about working on the little things, same as baseball. Nice post, is it too late to join the swim team? :)
-Wyatt
Hi Nate,
ReplyDeleteI really like your post! The part about Claire is really cool. When you grow up to you hope to be a pro swimmer? Who's your favorite pro swimmer? Nice job on the post!
thanks,
Matthew
Hi Nate,
ReplyDeleteCool post! The part about Claire is sweet. Do you want to become a pro swimmer? What is your favorite thing about swimming? I liked that you put in the whole story about how you started swimming. Good job.
Cordially,
-KAT