My son swims for Swim South Bay year round. It’s the perfect sport for my competitive yet not aggressive kid. He gets lost on the soccer field, is completely hands-off in flag football, and doesn’t seem to care about basketball. He says that he wants to play baseball… but never actually shows any interest in the sport. When we found swimming, I knew that my son would do well. He’s competitive, but doesn’t like to get into the thick of it on the field. He likes a team setting where he can cheer on his friends, but he likes feeling in control of his own performance. While he’s certainly not the fastest kid on the team or in the league, he does well enough to improve his time, win some ribbons, and feel really good about himself. What more could a mother ask for?
How about a less rigorous practice schedule? Year round swimming runs 11 months of the year. With practice three times a week and weekend-long competitions, I’m more burnt out than my son ever will be. Lugging his little brother along wasn’t an issue when he was a baby. But now as a toddler, he screams the whole time with desire to get into the water too. After 45 minutes of hearing “wa-wa” in every tone imaginable, you begin to lose your grip with reality.
When we heard that a school-yard friend was joining the team, a light bulb clicked on for me. CARPOOL. Within a matter of hours, we had a three-mom carpool set up. Shuttling three eight year old boys requires ear plugs and a high tolerance for bathroom talk. But it’s just once a week. On my days off, I’ve gone to the store, cooked dinner early, finished laundry, and worked late. It’s been awesome. Beyond awesome, really. If I ever lost my carpool moms, I might have to check myself into an institution.
If this carpool thing is a dream, please don’t ever wake me!
