We were so lucky to have the head coach of our YMCA team ride up with us to be on deck with Madeleine. This was a USA meet, not related to the Y, but our coach didn't want to leave Madeleine to navigate the ins and outs of the meet on her own as an "Unattached" swimmer without a coach. Thank goodness he came, because I am pretty sure Madeleine would have been way in above her head trying to figure out what to swim when. In fact, she pretty much stayed stationary in one spot on the pool deck unless her coach was lining her up to swim, despite the fact that a good friend from school was at the meet with her USA team.
ME: (after the meet) Madeleine, did you go over and try to hang out with Reagan at all?
MADELEINE: (eyes wide with terror, shaking her head)
ME: Why not?
MADELEINE: That would be TERRIFYING.
ME: Why?
MADELEINE: Trying to find your way around that crowded place?!? How would you even know where you WERE?
I mean, it was a pool deck. I don't think you'd get lost or forget which corner of the pool you started out at. But I can clearly see that doing this solo with no adult to help her would have been too overwhelming.
Madeleine brought everything to the table and finished in the top half of every event, earning personal best times in everything she swam! Considering this kid had been bed-ridden, staring listlessly at a spot on her wall all day on Monday, it was amazing to see her swim her absolute best.
Now, while she has both brawn and brains, sometimes the brains exit the building. After I helped Madeleine get showered and changed in the locker room, we went up to the lobby to meet Ethan and Julia.
ME: Has anyone seen Coach Bob?
ETHAN AND JULIA: Nope.
MADELEINE: (eyes widening) Oh! Wait! I know where he is! I'm supposed to meet him outside the locker room after I change!
Good thing she remembered or he would have been there all day.
It was a great end to a very frustrating school break, what with being cooped up with the sick kids for most of the week. Hopefully this is the last of the winter germs we face as we head towards spring!
No comments:
Post a Comment