Jake makes the swim team!

I signed Jake up for a swim clinc as a trial to see if they can make the swim team. They practiced twice a week for three weeks and at the end of the clinic supposedly if they could swim across the pool they make the swim team. I thought there was no way that he would be ready for the team this year. At the end of the clinic he recieved his paper that said he made it! I guess they changed their criteria and he only had to be able to swim 15 feet. After much consideration, I decided to let him go for it! He has been practicing 4 days a week for a couple of weeks and they had their first swim meet this past Sunday. I was so nervous for him since he still was not swimming unassited and had only swam the legnth of the pool with a kickboard. When I asked the head coach what we should do for the meet if he still wasn't quite swimming, she said "you show up". I guess they need to get times to put on future heat sheets. They are required to do two events (25 freestyle and 25 backstroke). How the heck was he going to do backstroke when they had never even showed him? Friday before the meet they were quickly going over backstroke, diving off the starting blocks and the air horn to start them off the block. Talk about sink or swim. After all weekend of nail biting and lots of comfort food, it was time for his meet. He did so awesome! I am so proud of him. I couldn't believe the fabulous stroke that he had when doing the freestyle, eventhough he had to stop and hang on the rope for every breath(apparantly its legal with the little ones). He succesfully completed both events. I am so excited for the rest of the season and to see how well he improves. Swim team rocks.