Last updated on October 26th, 2021 at 11:23 am
I’m feeling contemplative as I write. This isn’t a “How To” post, it’s a heartfelt thank you. I’m guessing that anyone reading this post helps give competitive swimming opportunities to kids, or others.
Thank you.
Find quick and easy ways for you or your swimmers to express thanks. Check out the post, Express Thanks and Build Your Swim Community
Contents for Thank You for Helping Kids and Others Swim
- Thank you for sacrificing so kids can learn
- Specific Thank Yous
- Coaches
- Officials
- Meet Directors
- Marshals
- Admin Workers
- Volunteer Coordinators
- Hospitality/Concession Volunteers
- Runners
- Fundraisers and Donation Solicitors
- Timers, clerks, announcers, set-up, clean-up, awards, publicity, and misc. meet workers, chaperones, bull-pen, and other personnel
- Board Members, Directors, and other Administrative Leaders
- Facility and Aquatics Directors/Managers
- Heartfelt Thanks
Thank you for sacrificing so kids can learn
Thank you for spending vacation, leisure, and even some family time to help keep competitive swimming available.
Less Screen Time
I’m glad kids have options instead of watching TV and playing video games. I love that when they are in the water, they are not in front of a screen!
First-hand Learning
I appreciate a wholesome competitive swimming environment. Here, kids can learn how to work hard as well as how to set and work towards goals. Reaching those goals provides a thrill. However, I also value the opportunity swimming provides to learn some harder life lessons too. These include patience, resilience, problem-solving, and perseverance despite the difficulty.
Making Friends
I love seeing kids gather together and make friends. The majority of competitive swimmers choose to work hard day after day after day for something other than the glory of the spotlight. It rarely shines on the pool. But the friendships kids form can last a lifetime.
Building Grit
Work like this helps to create minds, hearts, and bodies ready to face a world full of ups and downs, twists and turns, delights and devastations. Thank you for helping to make this growth possible.
Specific Thank Yous
Thank you:
Coaches
Who are never paid what they’re worth.
Officials
Who not only spend hours upon hours at meets (often missing their own child’s race.) But, also spend extra time developing skills and deepening understanding.
Meet Directors
They juggle what often feels like a three-ring circus!
Marshals
The front-line volunteers who enforce the boundaries and receive repercussions from those who don’t like being told no.
Admin Workers
These often faceless, yet highly skilled and indispensable meet workers deal with the “Devil in the details.” They process results and address the challenge of sometimes temperamental hardware, software, equipment, and people.
Volunteer Coordinators
Who regularly face the daunting task of filling all the open volunteer spots with capable people before the first whistle of the swim meet.
Hospitality/Concession Volunteers
These folks accept the mammoth job of keeping coaches, officials, and other meet workers fed, watered, and/or caffeinated. They also arrange to get all the food, drinks, and supplies to the venue at the right time. Once there, they make sure it’s kept at the right temperature and distributed to the right people. Additionally, they stick to a, more often than not, tight budget and the rules of proper food prep and storage under less than ideal circumstances.
Runners
Who aid the admin process amassing miles along the way.
Fundraisers and Donation Solicitors
These willing people run meet fundraisers and/or ask for and collect donations from businesses. Their hard work enables, or assists, financial sustainability for meet hosts. If meet hosts can attain financial sustainability, they won’t be able to host meets for long.
Timers, clerks, announcers, set-up, clean-up, awards, publicity, and misc. meet workers, chaperones, bull-pen, and other personnel
Thank you to the many volunteers who get out of the stands and onto the deck to help.
Board Members, Directors, and other Administrative Leaders
These people spend hours and hours (some years upon years!) braving the boardroom and other off-deck locations to make sure competitive swimming opportunities continue. This is in addition to the time most spend at meets, practice, and other swimming activities.
Facility and Aquatics Directors/Managers
The support crew who helps keep competitive swimming opportunities available by keeping facilities available. Special thanks to those willing to work with swim teams to find solutions amicable to both the facility and the team.
Heartfelt Thanks
A sentence or two is insufficient to honor the sacrifices given by experienced mentors, willing “newbies” and everyone in between. Nevertheless, the gratitude felt is real as are the good feelings and friendships developed through the rendered service. Swimming volunteers and staff are a great group of people!
Thank you!
Kathy, the sign of an awesome leader is deflecting appreciation to others. You are a phenomenal leader, manager, director, volunteer. Your temperament and calm, efficient guidance cannot be attributed to your teams, but only to you. Thank you for leading this group of dedicated and selfless volunteers with wisdom, style and patience we all appreciate and strive for.
On this day of reflection, your message hit home. Thank You for taking the time to remind us of our contribution to the great society that is USA Swimming.
Wow! I’m a little speechless from the tribute, and still must share credit for the success of the 2016 Western Zone Age Group Championships with the awesome group of people I had the privilege to work with, but thank you & you’re welcome!
Thank you for all you do Cathy. You were as amazing a meet director as can be! What a pleasure to work with you and your staff.
Thanks Tim–I enjoyed working with you too & would love to post some meet announcing tips from you sometime.
Wow and their is no better example of someone who gives to the sport as much as you. We are equally thankful to you for taking the time to acknowledge all of the volunteers in the sport that make these experiences possible for our kids.
Thank you Susan!
My son, Cameron, wanted to compete in sports, but was trying to figure out what was right for him. One summer we signed him up for the county league through our local rec center (unfortunately the local rec center no longer promotes competition within the county league). Oddly enough I had wanted to be a competitive swimmer, but my high school and town that I grew up in as a teenager did not have any swim facilities. When Cameron swam that summer he was hooked.
As a parent of a swimmer I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My wife did double what I did driving Cameron to practices, swim meets, volunteering as a timer, and multiple other positions. For one season at the high school level I certified as an official. I felt very inadequate in that space.
What happened over a four and a half year span was life changing. Cameron went on to break two school records with his teammates in the freestyle relay and the individual medley relay. The individual medley relay had not been broken since the late 1970’s. I wish the world could have seen Cameron swim the butterfly in that race. His determination, speed and form indicated that on that day, at that moment, nothing could beat him.
He later competed at the high school state level, something he dreamed of, but had not qualified for in previous years. He took fourth place in the 500 freestyle, missing a new school record for his high school by only .60 of a second. What many didn’t know is he had gotten sick between regionals and state. Despite the sickness of congestion, coughing, stuffiness, etc… he still did his best.
When I look back there’s so much I’m grateful for regarding the sport and what it did for my son. It taught me just how tough swimmers have to be, and patient, persistent, perfecting their technique and giving their all every day, sometimes twice each day, traveling to various places for practices, swim meets, and waiting for that moment to prove themselves in the water, and for a brief period of time.
Swimming … it’s an amazing sport. I too am thankful for the difference it had on my son’s life, and that of my family.
Love the story! Thank you so much for sharing.
Cathy,
Very well said! Thank you for your message and all you have done for Utah swimming this year.
Thanks Von & you’re welcome.
Thank you for the kind words and thanks.
You’re welcome Larry
Very nice and #OfficiallyAwesome!
Thanks Gina & love the hashtag, yay officials!
Thank you for your wonderful message!!!
You’re very welcome!