The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:28:02 GMT

. . . having your teammates *tatoo* eachother on face, arm, shoulder, thigh, anywhere, with the scratch on tatoos . . . drawing sharks, fish, teeth, Go Team!, It's Miller Time, etc. over teammates' entire back in permanent multi-color marker (hey, if the kids can do it, why can't we?) . . . beating someone 10 years younger and 40 pounds lighter than you, especially when your one thigh is the size of their torso - in any event . . . realizing that there is not an additional $10 fee for heat sheets . . . no prelims and finals! . . . looking at the heat sheets and seeing that you're sandwhiched between two arch nemesises and knowing it will be an exciting race - win or lose . . . not having to worry about your coach yelling at you after a bad swim :rofl: . . . having your coach hand you your ribbons after the meet . . . eating fun dip and Nerds candy with no remorse . . . trying your best to win a race for your retired parents who are watching in the stands . . . wondering if it's possible to swim a freestyle race with your fastskin which happens to have a hole in the crotch (reluctantly decided against that) . . . asking the official if you can please swim with the men in the 200 fly when there are no other female entries

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:38:32 GMT

Great thread Rich... Mine are watching my teammates (and other swimmers) scribble their events on their hands at meets (like when we did when we were age groupers) - it makes me giggle. The next one is the smile you get when someone doesn't have a lap counter for the 500 (and up) - and you go over and count for them - and they smile at you - I love that. And finally, I love it when I see my teammates improving and they are so happy when they finish their race... it's a blast. -Sarah

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

beluga — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:17:37 GMT

... Having my daughter count for my 500 ... ... after lap 13 having my daughter signal that I was behind my planned pace (even though I was well ahead) by shaking the lap counter progessively more vigorously, because she wanted to see how fast I could really swim.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Julie Roddin — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:44:17 GMT

Thank god. Now I can stop sobbing on my keyboard since I'm a real teammate. If you really loved me and I was sobbing, you should give up that 50 back to hold my hand! :rofl: You're not even a sprinter anyway. But if you want to learn to move your arms fast, you have to get therapy for your engine building addiction and start doing 25s, sista. I might swim the 50 back at Muppet's meet on July 1. Re-match in the same heat? Oh no, I don't get a turn .... only a start? That could be ugly... Fine, teammate. I will swim the 50 back but only if blue muppet does too. I smile also when.... Diving in the pool....arms/legs shaved and in my new fastskin....and just glide effortlessly to the other end of the pool. My non-swimming friends show up just to cheer. And to them my times don't matter and I am a rock star no matter what. My Mom wears pink (everything pink, even her shoes) because she know that pink is my favorite color and it's the last day of the meet and I'm tired, but the 100 back is that day and she LOVES the 100 back. I almost scratched it at a meet a few weeks ago and when I told her she replied..."but that's my favorite event, please just do it for me!" How can you say "no" to that?!?!?

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:23:23 GMT

Watching one of the officials graciously help a lady up onto the blocks, so she didn't have to start from the edge of the pool. :applaud:

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:23:20 GMT

Knowing that we have the chance/opportunity to be able to compete in swim meets.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:21:49 GMT

Meeting your friends' children. Kids are fascinating to talk to since they seem to inhabit a place that varies between stark, absolutist reality and a state of borderline insanity. Since we have no kids :( it is a welcome chance to interact. (And then they go home with someone else when they get tired/crabby.) -LBJ

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:58:05 GMT

Hearing your Mother and your kids all yelling for you...

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Karen Duggan — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:34:38 GMT

...bringing a babysitter. ...all of the stuff I bring for the kids to do. It's enough to ruin a taper!!! ...my daughter watching me swim, my sons could care less. ...getting nervous still after 25 years of racing, it's silly really. ...knowing that almost all of the people are there in a positive, healthy environment, doing what they love, because they can and want to. ..."Good job" from a coach or teammate. ...relay starts (soooo much fun!) ...swimming relays with a spouse and/or good friends. ...team gear "sweats, sweatshirts, caps, shirts." ...giving rides to older teammates because if you didn't they couldn't go. ...thinking to myself as an 85 year old swims the 400 IM or 200 fly, "I hope I'm still doing this when I'm older." ...in the warm up pool after a race, thinking, "How come I didn't feel this relaxed during my race? Can I go again? I'm ready now ;)" ...unnecessary cap/goggle adjustments (it's just really nerves). ...mind games. (that's really a little thing!) ...knowing that most are at work and I took off for a swim meet :) ...beating secret nemeses. ...talking with people I probably woudn't ordinarily talk to, but we do have swimming in common :) ...blue, sunny skies, warm (not hot) weather- sunscreen, sunglasses. ...meeting new people. ...fast starts, good turns. ...knowing one of your teammates trained really hard and had a successful swim- it's fun to be truly happy for someone :). ...checking out what awesome shape "older" people are in. ...after meet "excursions".

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

The Fortress — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:13:01 GMT

my one length of breaststoke per meet ... changing suits in the locker room between events ... hearing "go mommy" is real high ... unless you have a USS swimmer/breaststroker for a kid and then you're sunk ... participating in a "vibrant hottub atmosphere" -- Rich doesn't know what this is because he couldn't take time to sit in the hottub. :confused: Isn't that part of a good warm down?

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Muppet — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:35:35 GMT

... watching someone compete in their first meet ever/in 20 years and the smiles on their faces when they realize how much fun this is!:groovy: ... splitting a 1:00.7/1:10.4 in the 200 fly:dedhorse: ... watching the blue muppet swim:banana: ... grudge match races :drink:

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

funkyfish — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:57:19 GMT

Hearing kids in the stands yell"Go Mommy"or"Go Daddy" I'll second that!:)

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:59:24 GMT

...watching older swimmers get assistance climbing the blocks and holding teammates hands for stability until they dive in... ...watching women in their 80's and 90's swim butterfly and hitting your male teammate who wont touch it... .. the little kids who help count Mommy and Daddy's laps... and who hold up surprise signs of supports... ...watching some people walk along side their teammates lane screaming "go go go" and your teammates threatening each other with various tortures if they ever did that to each other... ...wondering how many fig newtons your one teammate can eat before a race... ...watching everybody reach for their bifocals to read the heat sheets... ...watching the smiles appear across adults faces as they are handed ribbons and medals... ...sharing a laugh with the guy in the hot tub after he checks to make sure you are okay after walking into the glass door to the hot tub....oh yeah :agree:

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

FindingMyInnerFish — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:49:51 GMT

First swim meet a couple years ago... I wasn't ready for going off the block and a good thing b/c a dive off the side swept my goggles off. Fortunately, it was only a 50 free. Then first meet in a long course pool...50 free again... this time didn't lose goggles... but the darn pool was so long that I began to wonder if I'd gotten lost on the way to the end and started looking for those support kayaks lol!

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:30:13 GMT

Getting out of warm-ups at a meet and being recognized by someone from your age group team (in another state) that you haven't seen in 25+ years. I either look just like my mother or I looked really old in high school.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:56:12 GMT

Could someone please compile all the reasons/comments made by all the Forumites above and create a multiple choice questionnaire? I believe I'd check off 99% of the boxes.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:11:46 GMT

Kyra, it was fun being your timer and watching you race the girl in the adjacent lane. You two swam the entire 1000 stroke for stroke, side by side, neither willing to give an inch. And I stiill think you out touched her at the finish. I do too. ;) That race was soo much fun though!

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:07:49 GMT

Your "Anchoring a relay....." remark makes me smile. Swimming the 500 against a 24 yr old, who is smaller than one of my legs, and thinking.... Well I had her at the 25 yd mark.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:43:54 GMT

comparing "guns" ... I understand you are not reffering to firearms, but this reminds me of the thread years ago where a swimmer was arguing their reasoning for bringing a gun to swim practice. I might have to go back and find that one for old times sake. LOL!

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:25:35 GMT

Team mates teasing each other about breaking each other's team records. Anchoring a relay against a 24 year-old (whose 50 is as fast as your 25) and having team mates say, "You would have had him if you had another 50." Swimming a PB when I'm having a bad meet. Finishing a 100 fly! (Ok, I'm a whimp. I think a 50 fly is perfect.)

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Former Member — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:10:50 GMT

'Course, if you have been swimming masters for over twenty years, having some kid at an away meet yell 'Go Daddy' can give you the willies...

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

The Fortress — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:16:01 GMT

Fort, I will always be there for you but I can't sit with you while you sob if I'm in the next heat...the one you should be in ;) I want to learn how to move my arms fast like you do when you sprint! I do consider people on both teams as my teammates. Thank god. Now I can stop sobbing on my keyboard since I'm a real teammate. If you really loved me and I was sobbing, you should give up that 50 back to hold my hand! :rofl: You're not even a sprinter anyway. But if you want to learn to move your arms fast, you have to get therapy for your engine building addiction and start doing 25s, sista. I might swim the 50 back at Muppet's meet on July 1. Re-match in the same heat? Oh no, I don't get a turn .... only a start? That could be ugly... So as not to hijack, I will add that I smile ... when I realize I failed to shave my hairy legs. But who cares? ... when I watch my teammate reading the newspaper between events. (How does he do that? I'm busy chatting and drinking coffee.) ... when my coach swims 2 relays with me after she's been blowing chow all night. ... when my daughter tells her swim coach my times without serious derision. ... when my daughter fixes my leaky broken goggles because I can't see them too well. ... while I ponder which event to scratch that day.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Julie Roddin — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 03:57:37 GMT

Didn't you just swim the 200 fly? And which "team" are you referring to, you compulsive overtrainer? On a serious note, being there for people's bad swims to cheer them up after is real important!! So when I sob hysterically after my next botched backstroke finish, you better hold my hand. ;) No, wait ... it happens so often, I just laugh. LOL. Fort, I will always be there for you but I can't sit with you while you sob if I'm in the next heat...the one you should be in ;) I want to learn how to move my arms fast like you do when you sprint! I do consider people on both teams as my teammates. Yes, I did swim the 200 fly in Feb, and laughed the whole time so I guess that's something that makes me smile. But it's more fun to watch real flyers do the 200 fly. I admire the fact that they can keep their arms going at the same rate the whole time.

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

swimshark — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 03:01:13 GMT

... watching your dad compete in the 50 free at 04 Nationals just so you can say you both competed. ... watching your sister swim the 400 IM and laughing hysterically at her *** stroke which sems to go backwards some how :confused: (if any of you swim with her in Atlanta, you know what I mean) ...any team mate of fellow swimmer who cheers for me. .... watching a 93 year old woman compete. Her daughter stands behind her and yells "go ma!" when the start beep goes off. And then she dives in and gives it her all. OMS swimmers know who I'm talking about. ... hearing a grunt here and there while cheering for someone during a long event - 400 IM, 200 fly, etc My son just turned 2 and doesn't quite get the "cheer for mommy" idea but I bet the first time I near "go mommy" I will nearly drown from smiling so much. Alison

RE: The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...

Allen Stark — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:28:26 GMT

How the water feels right after you shave down.:groovy: