Tom actually was the one to take him the second time and it went better than the first time, but still not well.
The third time, he cried and I walked him over to the coach and after that he was okay, until they made him try the backstroke and then he hung onto the wall and cried, but eventually hung onto the lane line and tried it. Also, I was more organized this time and had a better handle on Simon and Jonathan. So it was 100 times better in that respect. PLUS, school was out and so we didn't have that to figure in and make things more chaotic.
The fourth time, he went right over and did everything they asked him to do as best he could. No tears. Success?
The fifth time, which was last night, he balked when it was time for his age group to swim, and I had to walk him over, but once he was there he did AWESOME and apparently, although somehow I missed this, swam the length of the pool freestyle for the first time without holding onto the lane line at all. Plus, another little boy on the team actually cried through half the practice and, though I felt badly for him, I think it helped Ben realize that he's not the only one on the team who has fears.
The thing every attempt has had in common? When it's over? He's SUPER happy. SO proud of himself.
On Wednesday, he begged to go back to the pool after Simon's nap and spent two solid hours practicing the backstroke and swimming freestyle across the shallow end. So he definitely WANTS to do this, which makes me feel better about all the tears.
The coach is teaching them the butterfly. (honestly, I wish they'd spend more time just getting the fearful ones to swim the full length of the pool in whatever way they are comfortable... but whatever) Ben LOVES it. They do just the leg part using kickboards and he's always at the front of the pack, which the coach keeps pointing out to him and I KNOW makes him feel good and boosts his confidence.
He keeps reminding me of my original promise that he can quit after two full weeks if he doesn't like it. I just keep putting him off, telling him two full weeks is really 14 practices. (by that time, the season will almost be over... LOL) And I know he doesn't *really* want to quit...
When we get back from vacation, I think all the rest of the meets are at home, except one. So he's going to (hopefully) try his first one on July 8th and swim in three more after that before the season is over. :)
Oh and his team suit came the other day and he LOVES it. He would sleep in it if I let him. I HAVE to get a picture... it's too funny. Here he is "secretly" practicing in the afternoon after Wedesday's practice... he cracks me up. :)
4 comments:
That's great! Has he swam in a meet yet? Now that might be tricky, but again, BIG payoff for his confidence if he can do it! Swimming and swim team do take some getting used to. There's just a whole lot going on with strokes and practices and coaches and age groups and kickboards. I can see it being very overwhelming, but it can be fun too. I know my kids are inspired by the teenagers on the team and it helps to see younger swimmers too. And, you really are racing against the clock and yourself first and foremost, so trying to beat a time each week could work in his favor.
Emily and Lucy have been very willing with swim team this year. Lucy, being her first year, is particularly excited. She is really trying. She's not doing a meet yet, we're signing her up for the practice meets in a few weeks, but Emily is attempting to swim at the meet tomorrow. Now swim meets are insane at our pool, so might be another bit of crazy for you to tackle. If they are anything like the ones at my pool... Do NOT bring the other kids!!!!
(P.S. What is your pool? I wonder if we would ever swim against you?? We are at Watermont. We swim against Padonia, Crofton, Meadowbrook (i.e. "The Michael Phelps Pool"),
Oops, nevermind. Re-read his first meet in July. Good luck, but they are CrAzy chaos!
We are Towson Golf and Country Club.
We don't swim against you guys, sadly! :(
I just looked at the schedule and it's
Stoneleigh
Valley
York Manor
Pine Ridge
Campus
Hampton
Wiltondale
Hillcrest
Woodcroft
?
That would be so fun if we swam against you guys though
!
Yeah, so the last four meets are all at home and I think that will be a good place for him to start. I have heard the meets are nuts, especially away... and I htink home is all I can manage this year with the other two in tow. Tom is going to meet me there for them after work so he can take them home at bedtime. Apparently they sometimes run until 9 or 10!! GAH! (depending how large the other team is)
I think by the first one, which is 7/8, he'll be ready... he's getting really into it. Yesterday we had some HUGE breakthroughs. Swam the length of the pool a couple times, halfway across with backstroke and he's working really hard on his butterfly which I'm fascinated by because that is SUPER hard! He also learned how to do a squat dive in to start and how to really tread water yesterday. Yeah... it was a HUGE day! He's working SO hard!! He wants this! :) Love it!
Oh yeah, so you are not in the central Md swim league like i had thought, so we won't swim against your pool. OUr meets are on Saturday mornings and there are two or three "Novice Meets" for the slower kids that are on weeknights. Those are the meets I will enter Lucy in. I can only bring Teagan to the away meet at the pool in Catonsville b/c I know they have a playground in the shade. Other than that, I avoid taking the little ones. Too hard to manage esp in the heat.
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