First Swim Team Ribbon

Swim team season has been busy and well under way since September and it was a hug time commitment for everyone! Peyton was practicing three times a week and then we easily had a meet every other weekend and sometimes every weekend. 

After the first swim meet, the next practice the head coach handed out ribbons that kids received from the meet. Peyton did not get a ribbon and it devastated her, she just didn't understand and it was a really hard lesson to learn that day. We tried to explain the concept of getting a personal best, working to improve times and that swimming was about competiting against yourself but to a six year old…all she wanted was a ribbon. We had several more meets since that hard lesson and she was getting a personal best every single time in both events and improving by leaps and bounds! We started a reward system of receiving money (which she is highly motivated by) every time she got a personal best and she was robbing us! Finally after several meets she placed and got her first ribbon! We were so excited for her!

The first part of the swim season was long but flew by and we were amazed at how much she improved. By the end of the fall season she had taken off 15.5 seconds off of her backstroke time and 7 seconds off her freestyle time and was starting to learn a third stroke, butterfly!

She has such a joy and excitement when she swims and always has a smile!

Peyton is the second from the bottom

What impressed us more than her accomplishments during the fall season was her determination, hard work and positive attitude towards everything. She worked hard every practice, listened, applied what she was told and had such a great work ethic. She was such an encourager towards her teammates when they swam and consistently impressed us with her maturity! Looking forward to the spring swim season and all to come!