Last night was the Swim Team picnic dinner and awards ceremony. John baked a blackberry dessert we named Blackberry Booyah. Of course, as soon as everyone found out that my husband had baked the pie, he got a ridiculous amount of attention for his efforts; and despite over 20 desserts on the table, his was the first to disappear!
Nearly the whole team came with parents and grandparents in tow. We talked and set up long rows of food while the children played in the jumpy houses that Coach Yarko and Dianne had set up for them. Denver's good buddy, Alex, was there, as well as some other little boys who ran up and hugged Denver before they all ran away together like a pack of puppies.
After prayer and a delicious dinner, we settled in for our first awards ceremony. I assumed everyone would just pick up a little certificate and the athletes who placed well in state would get a trophy or something. There were surprises in store for me!
The first surprise was that each boy received not only a certificate with his best times listed at the bottom, but also a big blue and black duffel bag with the team's logo on it. That will be useful!
The second surprise was that Denver was one of the top three point scorers for his team-- earning 22 points. This earned him a medal. He was SO proud of it! He swaggered back to his seat and said to his pal, "Alex, you didn't get a medal. But it's okay. Look at mine!"
The second surprise was best. When John Robert was called with his age group, he didn't get a high scorer's medal. Yarko began talking about John Robert, though, and how he persisted through his illness at state and managed to swim the best times. He also talked about how coachable he was. Yarko laughed and said that what coaches really like is an athlete that makes the coach look good! He told about how at the county meet at Georgia Tech, he had told John Robert to get out there and win his heat. He said John Robert swam so fast that the other athletes in his heat looked like they were swimming a different race!
John Robert looked both embarrassed and delighted with all the attention. Yarko then awarded him a big medal-- the Coach's Award. We clapped. I took pictures. John Robert floated back to his chair.
Just as wonderful as the recognition the boys received for their efforts was the realization that Coach Yarko and Dianne are deeply dedicated to their coaching. Both John and I were touched by the obvious love the coaches feel for each other and their devotion to the children on the team. As we drove away that night, John and I both commented on how lucky we were to have such coaches and that they weren't kidding when they referred to the Walton Waves as their Swim Family.
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