Spencer's Swim Team

We have been telling Spencer for years that he has the build to make a great swimmer - long skinny limbs, double jointed shoulders and elbows - minus the muscle. Which he's bound to get at some point. So this year he decided that he wanted to swim on a swim team. I have to say that I was so incredibly proud of Spencer. He had never really swam before, except for playing around in the pool, and he certainly didn't know much about the different strokes. I assumed that they would do a little instructing at the first practice, but boy was I wrong. They gave a couple of verbal instructions and then said, "Swim!" I wondered what Spencer would do, since he was the first swimmer in his lane on that first practice, but he just started swimming! The coach told us later that Spencer was a dream student all season long, because he listened to all the advice that she gave him, and always tried his best to do it. Another thing that made me really proud was that he refused to get down on himself. There were races that he was in last place, and he was even lapped by a much older boy in one race, but he knew he did his best and got right back in the pool for his next race. He also rode his scooter to and from practice every day, and he worked his little tail off for the whole season. Spencer was actually quite competitive in the breaststroke, and by the end of the season he had moved up an entire heat in that event. And he had incredible form on his freestyle, backstroke, and his breaststroke. I really think that with some more meat on his bones, some more muscles on those skinny arms and legs, and some more endurance, he could have a real future as a swimmer! And next year Tyler and Ella want to join the team with him. Should be fun!