I cannot believe I am sitting here writing this. It doesn’t seem right that after almost 12 years of swimming and my time here at Saint Mary’s that it should be coming to a close. Everyone gave me or still gives me … JJ … a hard time about transferring from St. Kate’s. Yes, I did miss the people on the team at first, but after spending these last three years at Saint Mary’s with THIS team, I couldn’t imagine spending it with anyone or anywhere else. I am proud to have put in the time, hard work, and yards with this team. Plus, all of the non-swimming activities that we do is part of what makes this team so special. This team is the best!! Have I said THIS team enough?
The people I would like to thank first are my parents. Mom and Dad you have been there for me from the very start. You have supported me and believed in me throughout all the tears and smiles. I could not have gotten where I am today without you. Thank you for always making sure that I could swim no matter how tough things were. I love you.
Next, I would like to thank my fellow seniors. Abby Lough, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who did not fall in love with water polo like everyone else. I loved seeing all of your arts and crafts from all of your education classes, good luck. I’m sure you will make a fabulous teacher. Abby Kratzke, thank you for all of your delicious baking and your Madonna music selections during practice were glorious. Mark, don’t worry about it. Your mumbles and phrases always crack me up. Robbie, thank you the vast amount of knowledge that you have shared with me over the past three years and good luck with everything, you are bound to go far. Tina, although you just started this year it has been great having you on the team and getting to know you. Sivan, I still remember the practice when you got out to go eat a granola bar. There are so many little things you do are say that brighten up everyone’s day.
To the rest of the team: Anna Smaron, thank you for being you ? You are such a kind and caring person. Thank you for the many many talks especially about swimming and helping me decide what is important. You are a very smart and talented lady. Just believe that and you will be amazing! Kristin, thank you for being my lane partner these past two years. I have enjoyed swimming with you at practice and at meets. I always found myself hoping that you were in my heat because I knew you could push me. Heck we even swam a race synchronized and tied! Good luck next year! Ashling and Anne, I am so glad that you returned this year and you girls together are something else. I don’t know how, but I feel like if there’s something on YouTube, you girls have seen it. Andrew, you have some big goals that you want to achieve, just keep working hard. To all of the new guys this year, PJ, Scott, Garen, Zach and Jimmy, you guys all are such great additions to our team this year. I’m glad that you all meshed with the team from the beginning and you brought many laughs with you. I hope you all continue to swim and good luck in everything. Shea, Sarah, and Beth, the new girls this year. Shea you have also brought a lot of laughs with you this season. I’m so glad to see that you stuck with it and maybe some of that doubt you had at the beginning of the season is gone, because you have come a long way. Sarah, it took a while for us to crack you open, but now that we have it has been great getting to know you and having you on the team. I hope you continue to swim and complete the crazy trio that you, Ashling and Anne have become. Beth, I was so excited that you decided to swim this year. You have been working so hard and have improved so much. I hope you are happy as well that you joined and that you continue to swim next year.
Divers: Sarah, Danielle, Brian and Alex, although we as swimmers do not get to spend as much time with you it has been great getting to watch you during meets and see how much you have improved. Continue to work hard and good luck!
To past swimmers: Kristina, thank you for being one of the first people to make me feel a part of this team and being my lane buddy my first year here. You were always there to push me further than I could have pushed myself. Linda and Nikki, thank you both for being such fun loving people. You both made being a part of this team something special. You showed everyone how hard work pays off. Seeing you both break school records your senior year and being able to cheer you on was one of my favorite memories. Thank you both for always being there to encourage me to do my best as well. Liz, you made everything we did more fun. We always talked about how much homework we had to do, but when we lifeguarded together, it never got done. You made the classes we had together more bearable and I loved our abnormal psych study sessions. Thanks for adopting me into the diving team ?
JJ, I guess you aren’t that bad… I guess ? But seriously, you spend so much time picking on me what are you going to do without me?
Last but definitely not least, Coach. Thank you for everything. Thank you for making my adjustment from St. Kate’s to Saint Mary’s that much easier even when I had a hard time. Thank you for always having your office open. It was the only place I knew where to go before I got to know other people. Even now, it is where I go, and where the team goes, when we just want to hang out in between classes or instead of going back to our dorms. Thank you for being my coach and supporting me and pushing me in the pool, but also for being someone that is always there to help. I have had a lot on my plate outside of the pool and school, and you have always been there to listen and offer help in any way that you could. Thank you, it means more to me than you think. Oh, and there’s one thing I didn’t tell you about when I was watching your puppy. Sticks likes tennis balls… oops ? I guess now you can’t say that your dogs have never had a tennis ball.
Even though I’m not ready for it to end, I can’t wait to spend my last month of swimming here with all of you. Swimming has been such a large part of my life for so long, I’m not sure I’ll know what to do with myself when it is over. I do know that when I look back on the endless amount of time I have spent in the pool, I will remember the teams and people from the beginning to the end and Saint Mary’s will always be one of the highlights. |
