CHAMPS

I just realized I never posted about Aubrey's championship swim meet (CHAMPS).  It was held at the UT swim Center.  I hadn't been there since I was a kid, and it's just as impressive as I remember.  We had been watching the Olympic Trials, and it was fun to see some familiar names up on the wall.

Aubrey didn't seem too phased by the surroundings. She happily went with her age group down to the pool deck.  Unlike other meets, only the age group parent volunteer is allowed with the girls down on deck since there is limited space and so many teams.  I have to admit, I didn't like that one bit.  I kept worrying she would miss her heat, or that she wouldn't like the way her swim cap fits, or that she would forget to eat or drink.  Yes, I have control issues.  I just wanted her to have a good experience.  I had heard some nightmare stories about kids loosing it because of the noise, etc.

Anyway, we waited up in the stands for the meet to start.  I kept hearing the call for the 6 and under relay, but I did not see Aubrey's group going to line up.  They called "last call" and I still didn't see them.  I was certain that the age group parents couldn't hear the call and she was going to miss her very first event.  Finally, I saw them rushing over to their lanes.  I spotted Aubrey and then I noticed Coach Sandy was down on her level giving what appeared to be a pep talk.

 I said to Brian..."Is Aubrey crying?  It looks like something is wrong?" Then we both decided I was wrong.  No way was she panicking.  She never does that before swimming.  Aubrey was swimming the 2nd leg of the relay and Coach Sandy was still talking with her as the first swimmer was making her way to Aubrey.

 Right on time, Aubrey dove in and swam.  Whew, I thought... she's fine.  Then she just stopped, treaded some water and started again.  Very unlike her.  Right after she touched the wall, I say Coach Sandy pull her out of the water and CARRY her back to her age group.  Then I was sure something was wrong.  I rushed down the the bottom of the bleachers where I could yell to her.  Coach saw me and told me to come down.  She met me with a pass to come on deck. Poor Aubrey was hyperventilating.  Well... it turns out she had tripped on something on the way to the ready bench and busted up her toe.  Of course, there was blood, and with blood comes a panic from her and the UT pool staff.  They told her she HAD to have it bandaged or she couldn't swim.  Well, those of you who know Aubrey know the girl can't stand band-aids.  Aubrey was freaking out over a bandage on her toe, not the actual injury.  Coach Sandy told her if she swam, she would take that silly bandage off the minute she got out of the pool.  And so she did. She snuck a pair of scissors over to her and cut it off.  As if Coach Sandy didn't have anything else to think about!!!  Just one more reason we love her.

Anyway,  I was so proud of her for swimming that relay, even if the drama was a little overkill.  I think that is when I realized that the Champs meet was in fact a little overwhelming for her.  But she calmed down quickly as I held her. Coach told me just to stay with her.  She went on to win her freestyle heat. Then, she blew her backstroke heat away.  She didn't get a heat ribbon or the 1st place time though.  At champs, they use the real timers on the bulkhead of the pool.  Aubrey had never had to touch a specific place before and she didn't hit in on the right spot, so of course, the time didn't stop right away.  We didn't care.  I was just so proud of her for swimming.

We are all a bit sad that the swim season is over.  It was so much fun and I loved seeing Aubrey so excited about something.  Way to go girl!

I put all three races together in this clip.  I just realized you can't see the first race at all.  Oh well. I had to reduce the size so blogger would post it.