FST Fall Open

RACE had its first meet of the Fall season this past weekend. There was some good, some bad and some downright ugly, but what was evident more than anything else were the no shows.

I had been feeling very good about our training and was expecting a solid showing. After all this is an almost identical women's team that took 8th at Sectionals this summer amongst many a college swimmer. Sadly, this was not the case. I don't even think that we could claim that we were the best team at the meet, let alone one of the best in the State. There was a defining reason for this....Homecoming.

It is lost on me when homecoming became as big as prom or for that matter when Prom became your childhood wedding day. Kids don't have curfews, they spend thousands on their attire and they blow off everything else in their lives. They put off school, they skip THEIR swim meet to go to the football game that people they barely know are playing in. I understand school spirit, but it was my sport, I wasn't going to skip my sport.

It was unfortunate, because a group of kids they laid out some pretty lofty goals in front of their coach decided to ignore them for a weekend. Now they are left with only one meet before their shave and taper meet and their coach is left looking for a way to inspire them.

And by the way....when did achievement turn in to something that is supposed to be fun EVERY day. When did sacrifice stop being one of the things that went with greatness. I am lost on that.