The End of an Era

I had a surprise find its way into my schedule and my heart last week.  Tuesday The Boy was back to school after a long fall break weekend of golf in St George.  It had been his final tournament for the season and the first he allowed me to come watch.  But that is another story.

Following the season closure of golf, he was prepared to segue into the next sport, swimming.  He had spoken with our swim coach, Coach Lisa, prior to the swim season beginning and asked if he could join the team as soon as golf was over. He had rearranged his school schedule to the point that he has no A4 class assigned making it a seamless transition to the pool once his commitment to golf was over.  I had a very firm talk with him about only doing on sport at a time, but doing it 100%.  He agreed that last year his heart wasn't really into the swim season and was really there only for the friends and social aspect.  I told him that his team and his coach deserved more from him.  So this year's schedule and level of commitment was prepared to make that happen.

Tuesday last week he headed to school with a swim bag in his truck and a willing and ready hear to get into the new season with the swim team.  About 2:30 or so that afternoon I got a text from him asking if I wanted him to bring me a drink at work.  I texted back "Aren't you supposed to be at practice?"

The next thin I knew was The Boy arrived at my office with a diet coke in hand.  When I asked him about practice, he said that he'd been uninvited from the team.  I asked what happened and he said he didn't really know.  Coach Lisa asked to speak with him before he got into the water.  He complied.  She told him that since he wasn't there for the 2-a-days "hell week" of practices he couldn't join the team this season.

His teammates, when asked what was going on and The Boy told them he was off the team, began to demand a team vote.  The other two high school teams that share the pool jokingly asked their coaches if they could "adopt" him to their teams.  At least he knew his friends wanted him there.

I'm still not completely sure what happened to make this the outcome fro a senior who, while not a state qualifying swimmer, one who still has swam since he was about 7 years old with this coach.  She knows him, and she knows our family.

It stings a little when I think that my participation as a parent wasn't wanted enough to let him stay on the team.  It stings even more that even though he spoke with the coach before the season began, the coach can hold a grudge over something as simplistic as his choice to play another sport before hers.  No student athlete should be penalized because they give their all to another sport, during another season.

I don't understand, really. 

The Boy didn't expect to be a team captain, as a senior this year.  He didn't expect to be a member of the A relay team.  He has been happy to do his little part with the team, for the team.  He just wanted to be a member of this team he has been with since he was a sophomore.  He wanted to hang out with his friends, go to meets with them, and enjoy his final year of high school with good friends.  That is exactly what I hoped for him too.

 But just like that, we are no longer a swim family.  And that is what hurts the most.