Hello, USA Girls Swim Team!

She did it, you guys! She made the team! Our strong girl is now on the USA GIRLS SWIM TEAM! I just can’t believe it, even though I totally knew she could do it! My big, strong girl!

At 3 years old, we enrolled Gracie in swim school for safety reasons. We knew that we spend lots of family time at the lake and camping near streams and rivers and we had a deep fear of having her near water and well, drowning. For us, it was 100% worth the investment to put her in a real program, with real coaches where she could learn some real skills. We had no idea that not only would she LOVE swim school, but that she would become such a powerful swimmer and stand out the way she has.

I blogged about the bean graduating from her swim school and what a shock it was that it came so quickly. Her school was awesome and totally guided us through what to do next to try out for a team. I must give G credit for doing all the research and getting Gracie signed up for tryouts, because she took care of everything. My babe!

The day of tryouts we were both nervous, but not Gracie. She talked as though she was already on the team and told us that she was going to, “kill it” at tryouts… so yeah, no lack of self-esteem with this one, lol! It’s funny looking back because I don’t think either of us mamas realized just how freaked we would be until we had to leave her down at the pool and go upstairs to watch her tryout. Our faces were expressionless. Our hearts were racing, and we hardly spoke.

The coaches instructed the kids, (who looked tiny from our view) to get in the pool and begin. We watched as our 6-year-old swam the full length of a regulation size swimming pool 17 TIMES. Yes, we counted. They had the kids in groups of 4 and conducted their evaluations as the swimmers did the backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and a bunch of other things that I couldn’t name if I tried. I thought G was going to pass out from worrying that the laps were too much for Grace. She panicked, saying that they were pushing Grace too hard and she needed a break. She was basically freaking the F out. I had to tell her to chill, sit down and have confidence that these people knew what they were doing and that they wouldn’t put the kids in danger (all while I was screaming inside and freaking the F out too)!

Meanwhile, as Gracie's moms were losing their shit up in the bleachers, she was doing exactly what she said she would do. She was killing it! The backstroke is her strongest swimming style and watching that part of her tryouts is something my mama heart will never forget. I was nearly in tears and my pride in her was almost too much for me. I could physically feel it. It was like nothing I've felt before as a mama! I honestly don't know how I'm going to handle watch her heats when she eventually competes with other swimmers. It stresses me out just thinking about it!

When all was said and done, our gal came back upstairs to tell us that she was thirsty and wanted a snack, seemingly unfazed by all that had just taken place... So, we covered her with kisses and left to have dinner. For her, it was just the end of another swim practice. For us, it was a day we’ll never forget. Life is about to change in a big way for our tribe, as sister bear will now have team practice 3 times a week and swim meets on the weekends. Swimming is going to go from a once a week thing to an all the time thing, and we're ready for it! 

All the feels, people. All the feels.

#swimmom