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SWIMMING. A PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS BY SARAH LEVINE, BEACHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, CLEVELAND OHIO.
I have never been an all-star athlete; there is nothing remotely athletic about my genetic makeup. In fact, I come from a long line of people with remarkably nondescript physical prowess. I cannot empathize with anyone who has ever scored the winning goal, hit the deciding homerun, or was first to cross the finish line; but that has never stopped me from doing what I believe in. Until I changed school districts in sixth grade, I was only scarcely involved in any extracurricular activities. My private catholic elementary school had not provided students with many opportunities to join a team. It was not until I entered middle school, in seventh grade, that I was introduced to a variety of sports. By this time, most of my friends were well involved in a plethora of sports and it was from them that I learned about the school swim team. At the start of the season I followed my classmates to the high school where the indoor pool is located. I entered the pool that day with only a rudimentary knowledge of swimming and diving, but in just a few years it has become a major part of my life. For me, the other swimmers have always been more than just teammates, they are a kind of family at school; a bunch of totally weird adolescents whose abnormal habits earn them stares and raised eyebrows in the hallways, but who stick together and laugh it off nonetheless. Be it the end-of-season hair bleaching to the meet-day traditions such as wearing towel capes and goggles to class, we have more spirit than any other team. Joining the swim team was what really brought my friends and me together. Still being relatively new to the school district, on my first day I barely knew anyone in the locker room. But such experiences like running barefoot through the snow before practice, until it becomes so cold that the snowball fight is moved into the pool lobby (despite faculty complaints) have a way of strengthening bonds between people. |
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Companionship is only one of many things I took with me when I left the water. Never before had I felt so dedicated to anything that after a grueling three hour practice, that turned my arms into lead bars and reduced my legs to jelly, I would then get up the next day at 5:30 for morning practice. That dedication is also the driving force behind my 6 A.M. excursions to the public pool, often in 60 degree or colder weather, for practice over the summer. It is a common belief among the team that the chorine is actually saturated with drugs that trigger a subconscious addiction to the water, bringing us back again and again despite the painful and exhausting practices. However, if you can get past the burning sensation in your limbs, I have found swimming to have an oddly peaceful rhythm; although that might just be the lack of oxygen speaking. Looking back now on all my years in the pool it is clear just how self-rewarding swimming has been both physically and mentally. While speed has never been my forte, perseverance kept me going, and over time my form has improved dramatically. When I first began, the thought of swimming the 100 butterfly was utterly daunting. Now, it’s just an event I merely gripe about from time to time. In addition, the combination of lengthy practices and meets with hours of homework has taught me efficient time management skills. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed over the years had been my overall attitude with respect to swimming. I started out with a primarily negative outlook towards the sport, complaining on a daily basis that it was too much work, and much too hard. At meets I stood behind the block literally trembling with nerves, and despairing at the thought of coming in last…again.
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Gradually, I began to see the benefits of swimming, the least of which being I could beat everyone in my gym class at sharks and minnows. I grew more confident as I progressed, and realized that it’s not all about winning; that the only records that really matter are personal records. Now, when I step out on the pool deck, I take with me a positive attitude. I readily welcome the sensation of aching limbs and burning lungs that assures me I am improving, and still have room to improve. I no longer dread competitions because I know as long as I continue to top my personal bests, I am winning. Because of swimming, I am happier, healthier, and have a more optimistic attitude. It has truly been one of the most monumental components of my life.
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