Personal Narrative: My Experience At The OSSAA Swimming Regionals

During this season I was given the opportunity to coach one of the younger teams in the gym. I loved it! I was hesitant at first because I doubted my abilities not only as an athlete but as a coach. In my senior season and ninth year of cheer I finally made it onto a restricted level 5 team. I was also blessed with the opportunity to be a junior staff member and coach a team I fell in love with. During this season my team got a paid bid to compete at the Summit Championship, this is the highest level of world competition for levels 1 through restricted 5. I never got to compete at the actual World Championships, but I was satisfied with what I had accomplished in my last season. I also got to watch the team I coached finish out their season strong. This team gave me a passion for coaching. I now had a new goal and that was to become a cheerleading coach as my

I had news that I was ready for intermediate. My next coach was Brian he taught me the skills that were very important, on all four events. After being in intermediate for a solid two weeks, they knew I needed a bigger challenge. The coach that moved me up knew I had potential. Coach Kylie was one of the best coaches, she knew I was ready for advanced, so she put me in her class. When I started the advanced class It was in late

When I first joined the North Attleboro Swim Team my freshman year of high school, I did not know what to expect. Prior to joining, I had never swam on a team before so it was a whole new experience to me. As the first week of swim started, I was apprehensive if I wanted to continue since I was not on the same caliber as my other teammates were. The practices were brutal but extremely rewarding, as I strived to prove myself and to my coaches. As my freshman season was under way, a couple of upperclassmen took

Last year I started a new sport, cross country. I only did it because my lacrosse coach said that it might help me get better for lacrosse. So I went to the first late summer practice last year to see what this was like, so then we did warm-ups and a lap around the track. Then it was the first time I met coach Chase, My first impression of him was going to be very strict, But soon realized that this was false because of one of the first things he said. He said “I know there are a lot of nerves here right now, but cross country isn’t about winning every race, that comes later” then continued with “Cross country is about showing what you can do to yourself.” This struck me very hard because I was not that fast and was near the back. Through that fall the team did very well, I also made some progress myself. After the season was over I made a decision.

Westfield High School swimmers practiced for one last day on January 6 before the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, which would be the following day hosted by Brownsburg and would also mark less than a month before the team’s most important meets, sectionals and state, begin.

I had four different swim coaches growing up and two of them were significantly influential in demonstrating how I wanted to be as a person and leader. From the age of five and until sixth grade, I did not have much of a connection or relationship with my coaches. It was more of a swim program that was held after school with some year round competitions. Once I entered Junior High School, swimming became more serious. I ended up trying out and making the year round national competition team. I swam for Mission San Jose Aquatics until the end of summer in 2006. My coach’s name was Debbie Potts. Debbie Potts was someone that everyone respected. She earned her respect by how she treated others with respect and with being a very supportive person. My relationship with her was good and I spent a lot of time with her since I was one of her top swimmers. During the summers I would work for her, helping her managed aspects of the team’s paper work, in addition to helping her with her business in vending swimming apparel and gear. Not only did I get

During my third year on the Varsity team my coach decided to pull me out of the competitive team because my skills were not up to par. Devastated by the fact that I had competed every year since I started and not that year, I vowed that I was going to prove her wrong, show her the mistake she made. I put in numerous hours into working on my skills, I would work until my knees, ankles, back and wrists couldn’t take it anymore. In just a matter of weeks I showed her up and I was back on the competitive team. Therefore, if I hadn’t pushed myself I wouldn’t have competed just like if I don’t push myself in life I’ll never get to where

My life was changed this summer after my winter swim team received unexpected news. We were told that we would no longer be able to practice at the same pool as before, leaving all of the swimmers without a place to practice. Unfortunately, this meant that my team, the Tiger Sharks, would no longer exist. I was devastated and now forced to bring myself upon a new team with unfamiliar faces. On my new team the head coach, Coach Bill, was able to assist me in making this transition easier and he was also exceptionally inviting to me and the other new swimmers. His unique training allowed me to immensely improve my swimming.

When I attended my first Empire Senior Dinner five years ago, I always wondered about what it would be like to stand up here. About to finish high school, about to finish Empire, and move on to college. It doesn’t seem too long ago when I thought that seemed eternally far away. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.

As I entered the first day of my junior year in highschool, I walked into my first class, Blended Guided Fitness with Mrs. P and Mrs. Bergo. Although I may have just made that class sound very intimidating, it was far from that, it was a great opportunity to learn about time management and self motivation. On the first day we learned the structure of the class, and how the students in the class must be physically motivated outside of school. Due to my continued commitment to swimming I knew this class would be a great fit. As the year progressed into late September we began to do fitness testing. We also did more fitness testing in December to measure our improvements in muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. In regards

All the time and hard work spent had to pay off for something. I was also determined to beat my biggest rival on the team. She wouldn't hesitate to smear my face in it if she got a faster time than me. We stepped up to the 200 meter starting line and I tried to push the nervous thoughts out of my head. It felt like butterflies were bouncing off the walls of my stomach. We got into the start position and our coach began counting down from 5. It was only 5 seconds but it felt like an eternity. The four of us took off in unison and I could tell I was going to have to give this race everything I had. There was no way I was going to let the others defeat me. I heard the pounding of my feet against the track as I ran the curve. That's when I realized I was already in front of the rest and I began sprinting with every ounce of energy I had left. There were nearly 100 meters to the finish line and my legs were moving so fast it felt as if I was flying. I kept thinking about how much I had been working towards this and how I would not let myself down. Bolting through the finish line I could tell that was one of the best races I've ever run. My lungs felt heavy, legs aching from exhaustion and my eyes were watering from the frigid wind. As my coach was recording my time on his clipboard he revealed how many seconds faster I had been. Not only had I beaten my own personal best, but I had gotten the fastest sub varsity time.

Everyone at the pool was excited, nervous, and jittery about the upcoming season. August 4th symbolized a new beginning and a new chance to succeed. I knew that day would be the beginning of me working really hard everyday in practice from August until the last weekend of October. So, that is exactly what I did. I worked harder than I ever had in swim for those two months. I would come to practice and focus everyday even when it was hard. I did not only get faster but, I learned some very important life lessons. I learned how to push through when I was exhausted, sore, and discouraged. I worked hard for the regular season meets that we had but, I knew I really was working hard for state

At the end of the year, my coach signed my yearbook -- I honestly expected sentences of encouragement, since he commented on my diligence, integrity, and improvement during swim meets. However, I received a paragraph about confronting my fears. My coach acknowledged my improvement throughout my swimming career, but he also stated that I didn't try hard enough, not because I was lazy, but because I feared of failing first to succeed.

With hard-work and determination I was able to return to the State Swim Meet. Swimming helped me realize that I have these traits, and how much they will help me in everyday

“Swimmers take your mark!” echo around me as I crouch forward on the swimming starting platform. Every muscle in my body is tingling and aching to dive forward and to feel the cool water swallow me before I race forward. When I was younger, my father would enter me into any triathlon that was available for my age. I would travel all around Georgia and South Carolina competing in the straining contest of swimming, biking, and running. As my life progressed, I focused more on the sport of competitive swimming. While growing up, I swam for various competitive swimming teams such as the Brynwood Swim and Racket Club, The Family Y, my high school’s swim team, and Aiken-Augusta Swim League. I always thrived in the pool, receiving blue ribbons and medals galore. During my high school swim season, I qualified for State Championships with my relay team at Georgia Tech. Our relay team was the first to go to State Championships for my school, Davidson Fine Arts. Although competitive swimming is a great pastime and talent of mine, there are many challenges that I may share with other competitive swimmers. The challenges of competitive swimming are the risk of injury, the cost, and the lack of time that keeps me from fully engaging in and enjoying the sport.