SAIL - Craig Report - Week Four

Sure was nice to have meets again, the weather was nice, little warm but low humidity made it an normal day for the South. Normal, think about what normal is for us in SAIL, over 32 teams from all over the county. Each team has an average of over 100 swimmers, a minimum of 40 volunteers per meet, parents hauling kids to the meets, 2 to 4 Coaches per team.

Think about it, as an average 244 people just to hold the meet. This doesnít include the parents or spectators! Now multiply that times 17 separate meets, add two parents per swimmer, thatís 4,600 people each week!

What we do five times over June and July is nothing short of amazing. And to top if off, we have been doing this for over 40 years. Thatís one of the reasons I do what I do, I am amazed each time I walk up on the deck of a swim meet. The organization that it takes to make this happen is just awesome.

Ok, on to the meets ...

First Stop - Woody Creek at Thornblade

Got a parking place right in front!

Itís very nice of those people that do this for me.

Jaclyn Spencer, Price Kinney, and Rick Fairbanks were holding warm-ups when I arrived. I was saying Hey to everyone and looked around and Jaclyn had disappeared! Poof, she was gone, found out later that they had a small problem in Clerk of Course and she was sent into the Den of Perpetual Confusion! Just kidding, the one job I would NEVER volunteer to help in is Clerk of Course! Those people are very SPECIAL to work in that area. Itís like trying to stack marbles.

Dr Chase Allen was starter; I met his wife Patricia between her screams of encouragement to her teamís swimmers. Patricia has always gone out of her way to make sure I enjoy myself at her meets. She offered an open tab for me at the clubhouse. That was very nice of her, good thing there was a meet going on. I may have taken her up on the open tab and I wouldnít have made it to any of the other meets.

Beth Hershey and Garrison Carpenter were at their posts, Beth just turned 21, and she has been the Coach at Woody Creek for four years, before that she swam for the team 12 years. So for 16 years she has been in SAIL. There are others out there that have tenure in SAIL just like Beth. One thing I didnít understand, Beth had her name written down her left arm. After all these years you would think she could remember her name?

Second Stop - Devenger at Foxcroft

Again, special parking place!

Executive Board member Michael Mino greeted me as I arrived. They have a large board on the wall of the clubhouse with the pool records posted all the way back into the early 70ís. I have a friend that has children over 17, that swim in SAIL. She was a member of a relay team record! Some parents keep coming back to SAIL year after year!

Elizabeth Grigg and Kaitlynn Wright were there giving encouragement and advice to their swimmers. Elizabeth had a little problem with the volume of the voice. Two meets in the same week looked to have zapped her vocal cords! Nothing over a weak rasp.

Kevin True and Scott Fogleman were there for Devenger. Kevin is an old pro at the swim game, Devenger is lucky to have the experience and knowledge that Kevin brings to the deck. Seems that we have more adult Coaches this year than we have had in the past. Like before, people have a problem leaving SAIL and the sport of swimming.

Third Stop - Pebble Creek/Half Mile Lake at Wellington Green/Brookfield

This is to be the site for Blue Divisionals again. With the long tradition of SAIL at WGBF the meet should again, go off without a hitch.

I spoke with Megan Neubauer for a time, she is looking forward to the big meet.

Colin Medlock and Joseph Sharp were there as well. These two actually filed a protest on a call yesterday. Donít know the outcome of the protest, but attaboys to both for keeping the Refereeís on their toes!

As usual, parking for the big meet will not be a problem. They have two soccer fields to park people.

I have to share an old story about a Divisional meet that I attended there YEARS ago.

We were in the middle of the short free session, the sky opened up and it rained so hard you could barely see the other side of the pool. It poured for over 45 minutes, and then it began to lighten up. As we tried to dry everything off and heard the swimmers and parents back to the pool, some of the swimmers found a very nice diversion. The pool sits up on top of a hill that slopes down to the soccer fields. The hill behind the pool is grassed, some of the swimmers found that if you grab a piece of cardboard and start at the top, you can slide a LONG way down the hill. Those kids were having a blast sliding down that hill, most wound up covered in mud. I wanted to go take a slide SO BAD, the wife wouldnít let me! I may be getting older but the kid in me still lives!

Fourth Stop - Dove Tree/Ashton Rec. at Roper Mountain Estates

Thanks to Roger Heitzig and others I again had a parking spot.

Katie Cleary and Jayne Hutcheson were there for RME, I have a long history with these two. Katie was one of the Coaches for my home team years ago. I have watched Jayne and her sister swim since they were both very young on a local USS swim club. One thing about the Hutchesons, their Dad is the perpetual Head Timer for meets, USS or SAIL. Their MOM, makes homemade bread and biscuits! No recipe, it in her head. She measures nothing, just dumps the correct ingredients in the bowl, and mixes it up and out pops REAL homemade bread and biscuits. This is an art, my Mom and Grandmother could do this. I really hope that both the daughters learn this from their Mom. We need to have more of these good Southern Traditions passed along to our children.

Justin Dankovic and his crew were there as well for DTAR. Justin is one of success stories of SAIL. Justin swims in the collegiate level. His Mom was nice enough to bring him a Jersey Mikeís sub during the meet. Next time make sure you bring enough for everybody! Where have I heard that before?

Brennan West was there as well, sheís 18. Little bit on her, she has NEVER driven a car; she has no permit, no license! Very rare these days.

Well another week of meets has passed.

Next week I will not be visiting the meets, I will on vacation down on Edisto Island.

Next stop are the Divisional Meets.

Hope everyone has a nice week, I know I am!

Craig