The little things that make me smile at Swim Meets...
Former Member
...Hearing everyone behind and around the blocks go "Oooooh!" and then chuckle after seeing or even just hearing someone belly flop their dive LOL
Former Member
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!
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.
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.
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!
...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:
... 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:
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?
...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".
