One of THOSE parents

I'm becoming one of those parents that records their kid's race times and is planning for the next phase of their swim career.

Motor Mouth started swim team three years ago because the Learn to Swim instructor saw something in him and said he should be on swim team. About 30 gold, silver and bronze medals later, our boy is one of the fastest in his age group in the league. WoW!!!

Motor Mouth has worked hard and has earned every medal. He practices for 10-12 hours/week. He has a great attitude and is considerate of others on his team. He doesn't see other kids as his competition - he's there to have fun and hang out with kids his age.

I like the sport of swimming. It's not something I ever got into or know about but it's a good sport. Great cardio, low impact, life-long sport, less chance of breaking a limb than basketball or football.

We would like to see how far Motor Mouth can go with swimming. It could determine which high school he attends and it could get him a scholarship to university. It's amazing how young some of these decisions have to be made. I guarantee you that if Motor Mouth was not where he is right now - like if he was only now getting into it or he was not racing in the fastest heats at meets, he would not have a chance at future swim success. The competition from here on out only gets tougher.

We are excited to see what Motor Mouth can accomplish in the next few years. We also want him to continue to love the sport and to have a great time practicing and competing. Ultimately, of it's not fun, it's not worth it.