Priceless

New Swimsuit: $27, Monthly Swim Team Fee: $60
Yearly Membership Fees: $300

Watching Asher compete in his 1st swim meet with such joy and confidence:
PRICELESS!

I would pay it all over again. Many of you know that Asher doesn't have the competitive spirit that Joel and I have...it has been a long road for Joel and I in learning how to parent him without "exasperating" him, to accept him for who is is and let go of our expectations of what we thought every boy would be like. Asher break danced in the corner of the field during soccer games, drew in the sand during tee-ball games, ran the opposite direction during football-every time just wanting to sit on the side and cheer. So we decided to take a break from sports until he pointed us in the direction he wanted to go. Since he was a fish in Hawaii, we thought "hey, maybe he would like a swim team". He LOVES his swim team. We have been so blessed with patient and encouraging coaches, a sport that builds Asher up every time he goes to practice, and a whole new family for Asher. We joined with he commitment not to force him to compete...when he was ready, he was ready, and the coaches were OK with that too. The first time he dove off the block and swam the length of the pool without touching the lane lines (in a practice), the entire team (even the high school kids) stopped their practice and chanted Asher's name until his hand touched the other side. I have never seen him so proud and a team so unified. Asher isn't focused on beating the kid in the lane next to him. He is focused on getting better every time he gets in the pool. Well, the 1st swim meet arrived and he didn't want to compete. Fine. We just wanted to take him so he could see what a swim meet even was. The 1st night he saw kids his age competing and said to me "I want to swim. I want to do this. I can do this. Please let me swim." I was dumbfounded and both Joel and I thought about talking him out of it, thinking he isn't ready! But his coaches encouraged us to let him do it if he wanted to try. So we signed him up last minute and all rallied by the pool as he went out to swim his 1st competition in the 25 meter freestyle for ages 6 and under. That morning he ran out the door at 7am like he was going to see Santa Claus. I have never seen such joy and anticipation, and confidence, in Asher's face. And he did it! He dove in, swam his heart out, and reach the other side in 39 seconds. He finished 9th of 13 kids and is so proud. I get tears in my eyes every time I think about it. Next time he says he will be faster and I believe it!

Asher on the left listening for the starting whistle.

Half way there!

Finishing strong!

I said "Asher I took pictures of you to show everyone."
Asher: "Probably not very many because I swam so fast!"
GO ASHER! We are so proud of you.