The End of Another Fun and Successful NVSL Swim Season!

It's that time of year again, my now 9 year old has finished another summer of swimming in the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) and we are in the dog days of summer with a new school year in sight. I will be honest I think I love summer more, now that I'm a mom, than I ever did when I was her age.  Many things are different for her, we belong to a summer neighborhood pool where we can spend hours every day playing, swimming, being with friends and eating dinners there.  We also have a vastly different type of summer league than where I grew up.  Our meets were at the minimum 90 minute drives away on a week night and in 50 meter pools.  Hers are maybe 25 minutes away and in 25 meter pools on Saturday mornings or Monday evenings.  Her swim practices are at 8 am, mine were at 6 am for two hours each day in the summer.  But, as a mom and a swimmer I love it all and I love the opportunity to be a part of the NVSL and watch McB's success. 

McB and her pal Ryan

Coach Kim with her 9-10 girls
and Mason, Peter & Nicco behind

This year I spent time as a stroke and turn judge and the hardest part was keeping from yelling when my girlie was swimming.  The funniest moment was during time trials when I did something I never thought I'd do, I disqualified my own daughter in the 50 back! But the reality is, she did it herself I just happened to be the judge that was standing over her and raised my arm.  She was a little miffed at me for a while.  I took a few jabs for DQing my own daughter, but then again I wasn't the first one to take out their own kid. 

One of the things I really love about summer league swimming is that you never know who you will run into, like a college friends brother who was with another swim club in our division.  Or other mom's from school who are team reps or their kids are on the team you're swimming against that week.  A few times during the summer there were many of us that were friends because of masters swimming long before we were parents and now our kids are all competing!


This year we were blessed to have my folks visit in the summer and they saw McB compete in two meets, a B meet and an A meet.  They saw her swim her best 25 fly time up to that point and she didn't go faster until Divisionals!  We were also lucky to have Kaitlyn and Erin see her swim.  Kaitlyn was just a few weeks post jaw and mouth surgery and still not getting out much.  It was one of her first big outings and McB loved having them both there too.  We were just grateful that Kaitlyn could make it for the whole meet and Erin being there to help her made it possible.  I can totally see Erin being a swim team mom some day, she got into it, team hat and everything! Kaitlyn would be more like me and need to be working on the deck or else she'll drive her kids crazy too. 

What was really wonderful this season was seeing my little 9 year old compete like a veteran.  Watching her behind the lane waiting to swim there was a calmness about her and a confidence too.  She had goals and raced to achieve them this year.  She didn't let the fact that some of the girls swimming fly against her were actually 11 (NVSL rules state the age you are June 1 is what age group you swim in all season) she went after them with even more determination. 





The summers also give us a chance to bring many friends in our life to one place, our school, swim, neighbors and gym friends, many of them belong to our little pool.  It is fun for us as adults to spend Friday nights having a glass of wine together and then Saturday mornings coffee at swim meets.  Wednesday night raft nights for dinner and just being at the pool during swim practices or for fun.  It is fun for us and for the kids. 

 I just feel like we are in the right place when it's summer and I think McB does too.  She is going to grow up and have all these fabulous memories and friends from Springboard Pool.   She will have many more swim meets with her friends and as she continues to complete in USA swimming she will know even more of the swimmers she is competing against in the summer league meets as well.  I just love that she has such fun at the pool and I have really loved this summer that she is at the pool and is 100% self sufficient and walks in, drops her bag and has at least one friend to instantly go play with.  I also love that she still wants to play with me and will spend hours diving for rocks in the deep end with me or doing hand stands or jumping off the diving board.   All those things are still fun for me too.  But it is also quite nice to walk onto the pool deck and see where she dropped her bag and I see my friends too and I get to chat in a lounge chair or just hang in the pool. 



Did I mention that some of her friends aren't her age? I get a chuckle over how she can have a full conversation with Mason (who will be a freshman at ODU this year) about the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, or how she totally holds her own when chatting about a variety of things with Francisco (Franny), who will be a senior at Edison High School.  But I really love how she just snuggles up and hangs with Sarah that and the fact they both wear their swim suits the same way.  Sarah, McB and Franny even dress alike at times. 

Record breakers at Championship
Relay Meet

Most of the time she is with her 9-10 crew either in swim practice, a swim meet or playing in the pool.  This summer the girls all really bonded and cemented their friendships.  The four girls on the right, McB, Lisa, Kayla and Paige also put together a pool record 100 free relay and for them it was a pretty sweet victory.  For this mom, as I stood on the corner of the pool, being a relay take off judge, it was all I could do not to jump up and down and cry at the same time.  I was so proud of them all and so happy for their victory.  I know their coach, Kim Case was proud of them too.  They all worked hard for the chance to be on the relay and the chance to get a record and their names on the Springboard wall. 

 Here she is with the coaches, what a fabulous and talented group we had coaching our kids this summer.  They bonded too and I think if they all come back next year our summer season will be one of the best ever.  It was Claire's first year as our assistant coach and she brought experience both from racing and also from coaching. Our intern coaches had double duty as swimmers and coaches and handled it well, really well and a couple also were the head cheerleaders as Cuda Man and Cuda Man's side kicks. 


This blog entry was a little long but this summer was more than just our little 9 year old competing in summer league again.  It was the realization that the pool friends we've made have become our own little family and the times we share are going to be some of the most cherished memories I will ever have (including the summer solstice trip~ one big long bruising memory!).  This summer of swim competing was wildly successful though and I don't want to end without saying that McB not only got to swim on a winning and record breaking free style relay but she was also named Cuda of the week. As her coach said, she earned it not only for handling the pressure she put on her but also having to deal with the pressure I put on her.  (I only give her what I know she can take and I only push her when I know she has it within her to be better).  The next day after being named Cuda of the Week, at Divisionals she surprised us all by taking second in the 25 fly and dropping another .7 seconds! She rocked a 19.37 and essentially dropped 4 seconds from last summer! Those are the swim moments you remember and when it gets tough and you're tired and don't want to go to practice, those are the memories that get you through.  She still has a few seconds to drop to make All Star cuts and hopefully get into that meet but who knows what she can do between now and next summer? She can do anything she wants in the pool and out.  I expect her other events to come together this year as well and I hope to say next year she swam in more than one event and hopefully did make All Star cuts. 

It's been a great summer and even though we've got a few weeks left, school and regular life is starting to nudge it's nose into our blissful summer.  The warmth I feel on my face in the mornings when I walk outside, won't last much longer nor will the early morning swims with the sun in my eyes when I turn to breath.  But they will in my memories and they will tide us all over until next year. 

The World Famous Calgary Stampede

We finally made it to see the "Greatest Show on Dirt" the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta Canada this year.  It was a quick trip but filled with fun times and seeing good friends. 

We started at Spruce Meadows, an international equestrian center that is privately owned and open to the public three times a year for world class jumping and showing.  These are some of the horse that were on display around the center showing different international organizations and of course the Calgary Stampede. 

Check out their website: http://www.sprucemeadows.com/   Also they had mama's and babies, like the one McB is petting, a chance to name a few of their new foals and this crazy event called, Dock Dogs where dogs can win prize money based on how far they jump off a dock to get their  toy that was tossed by the owner.  McB stood up hear the 'dock' and got pretty soaked a few times watching the dogs jump in.  The center was amazing and we would love to go back there and spend an entire day just watching the jumping, steeplechase, dock dogs and seeing the horses.  Truly a beautiful place.


After a morning of horse jumping we moved onto the main event and the Calgary Stampede.  It was a quick trip so we were only going to see two perfs.  We made the most of it by helping Jody clean the horse stalls before going over to sit with her in the contestants and family seating area.  We were really lucky to go while Gary Rempel ( http://rempelperformancehorses.com/press/  ) is still one of the official Calgary Stampede Pick Up men.  He along with his brother, Wade make a great team.  They use anywhere from 4-6 horses per show and at this rodeo they even had time to lean over the fence and chat with McB a bit.  Jody and I had a great time people watching and Brad just enjoyed being able to take pictures and watch the rodeo undisturbed. 




After the show both days we went back to the barns where McB was able to help walk the horses, brush them and give them treats.  She loves Gary's horses.  We were able to enjoy some fine Canadian whiskey and laughs with Gary and Jody.  





McB even managed to get on the big screen during the rodeo when one of the announcers interviewed a cowboy.  She figured out the angle of the camera was on our section and moved into the shot. 
Talk about funny! She is at the top of the screen in the corner grinning away. 





Did I mention the fine Canadian
Crown Royal you could drink?
Mounties preparing to drill was
a bonus!

The rodeo and arena are amazing and huge, they bring in over 100 thousand people a day to watch it and see the night show that features chuck wagon races and spectacular fireworks.  The fairgrounds is huge as well.  An abundance of rides for all ages, an Ag department with beautiful livestock and a few little treasures like this place that we enjoyed!  We sent a picture to my dad, who was in Las Vegas and he immediately wanted to go to Toby Keith's restaurant for something, anything that was deep fat fried!

 



We stayed right downtown and in the shadow of the 520 meter high Calgary Tower.  It was awesome and a little unnerving to stand on the observation platform and look down.  I don't think McB and I ever got used to standing on it but we did enjoy the beautiful 360 degree view of Calgary and as far as the eye could see beauty.  Breathtaking on many levels.  If you ever go to Calgary for the rodeo in July or just for fun, we both recommend visiting the tower. 








Downtown has a few main streets that during the Stampede are shut down during most of the day and some of the evening for vendors to sell food, souvenirs, take pictures and host square dancing and pancake breakfasts.  McB found her new favorite hat, a pink cowboy hat, down there and was gracious enough to pose for a picture with her dad as we walked down the street one evening. 

We would love to go back every year and see more than two stampede performances but will take it one year at a time.  We lucked into beautiful weather, seeing our friends and also seeing some impressive rodeo cowboys and girls, from timed events and barrel racing to fantastic bucking horses from Calgary and bulls.  The Mounties performed an awesome drill that lasted at least 25 minutes every day to kick off the shows.  Check out the Calgary Stampede website for more information.   http://www.calgarystampede.com/#