Swim Team

Here in Louisiana much of the summer and beyond revolves around swimming at pools because it is SO HOT and HUMID! I always panic when I go to the pool with all four kids that don't really know how to swim, so I decided it was time for some serious swimming lessons. I found this great swim team program that runs everyday for seven weeks and has three swim meets where the kids compete against their own times. The coaches were so patient, yet they also challenged the kids. It also got us out of the house which made the summer go so much smoother. Peter can now swim the entire length of the pool (25 yards) doing freestyle and backstroke. He can also swim part of the way doing butterfly. Rigby has made great progress in overcoming his fear of the sinking and can swim about six feet at a time when he has assistance. I am so proud of the progress both Peter and Rigby have made!

Swim Meet - Peter

Medal Ceremony

Swim Meet - Rigby

His coaches were so great to be in the pool and swim alongside Rigby in order to help him come up, breath and encourage him along.

One of his swim coaches bought him a plastic frog to help him focus on jumping into the water and swimming to get the frog instead of thinking about sinking.

Medal Ceremony

Rigby's "Scared of Sinking Story":

Rigby had a scary experience this summer when he jumped in a deep area of the pool, panicked and started sinking until one of his coaches saw him and pulled him out. He was really upset but as usual did not let his true emotions show at the time. The swim coach told me what happened and asked if he was okay. He seemed a little upset but not too traumatized, so I did not think much of it after I gave him a hug and we went home. 

After a few swim practices, I noticed that he was very hesitant to jump into the water and soon he was quietly crying at every practice. I talked with the swim coaches and asked them to continue working with him while I went over and encouraged him occasionally. It got so bad that he would cry loud enough for everyone to hear across the pool. I felt like such a horrible mother, but I knew if I did not push him to overcome his fear, he would never get back in the pool again. I also felt like this needed to be one of those life lesson about working through a challenge. 

Scott and I had many long talks with him about how pushing himself to continue to swim would help him overcome his fear. We prayed for him during family prayer, he and I said prayers before he went to practice each morning and Scott gave him a priesthood blessing. There still many bad days and some good ones. He really started to improve when one of his swim coaches got him a little plastic frog that he could jump into the water and swim towards. That frog ended up being the magic key because he was able to focus on the frog rather than his fear of sinking. At the end of the season he was able to swim about six feet at a time with some encouragement. Even now he continues to ask us to help him practice swimming when we are at our neighborhood pool. I know he is still scared, but I am so proud of the confidence he has gained to keep trying despite his fears.

After this experience I was in the car with all the kids having a conversation about our baby coming soon. They all have clued into the fact that I am upset with a certain aspect of this pregnancy, so Rigby said this to me while we were talking about it in the car, "Mommy, miracles can happen. I am going to say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father for a miracle." He stopped right there amidst the chaos of the other kids and said a quick prayer just like we had done during swimming when he was scared. It melted my heart and almost made me cry. Rigby is so sweet and kind, and I love it!

Rigby with his special "diving frog." He hates pictures and will never look at the camera and smile naturally unless I trick him into smiling using potty humor.

Team Pictures

All the kids on the Wahoo Woodlands Swim Team and their coaches.

(A Wahoo is a type of fish.)