"The best pace is suicide pace and today is a good day to die." - Anonymous
That quote is on our chalkboard wall - left there by Samantha the day before her first rowing regatta in over 16 months. Sam rows for the Triangle Rowing Club, a group of middle school and high school students from the Raleigh Area. Rowing is a unique and, dare I say, elite sport that would/could never exist at a public school so the teams exist as clubs. The regattas are fun, social events, a lot like big picnics. You don't see your kid race for hours on end and when you do its only for a few minutes. However, Crew is a sport that gets the attention of colleges and women's rowing is a Title IX sport. Ca you say, "Scholarship!?"
It's good to see Samantha smiling again. Rowing gives her immense happiness from the competition and camaraderie and relief from the mundane existence of being a high schooler. It's great to have her around like minded peers. I continue to be reminded that Samantha was meant to be on or in the water; sailing, rowing, and swimming have been her favorite sports, with sailing and rowing being two things she excels at. Against other sailors and rowers Sam might be average but since there are so few excellent rowers and sailors Sam makes average look pretty damn good.
The trip to western South Carolina was a task, not an adventure, but we all survived. While Sam took the team bus the night before the rest of us did the trip in a day. We won't do that again without first administering Benedryl for the kids and happy pills for the adults.
Sam finished third in her four boat and second in her eight boat - more medals to her collection. I got a medal once. When I was in my twenties. For finishing second in a 5k. Sam's got me beat many times over in rowing medals.
Of course Sam lives for the drama of the "suffering" of crew. The callouses, the shoulder pain, the shear insanity of "rowing as hard as you can, you-just-don't-understand." Oh, the humanity! Sam certainly whips it up to a frenzy. The week before the regatta Sam couldn't stop talking about it; partly because one of the boys was/is supposed to ask her to the prom. In the 24 hours since she got home Samantha hasn't stopped talking about each event - almost down to each stroke and has endlessly complained about her soreness and her sun burn...Again - it's great to see her in such high spirits.
Merrily, merrily, merrily.
 |
| Bronze Medal Four |
 |
| Silver Medal Eight |
That quote is on our chalkboard wall - left there by Samantha the day before her first rowing regatta in over 16 months. Sam rows for the Triangle Rowing Club, a group of middle school and high school students from the Raleigh Area. Rowing is a unique and, dare I say, elite sport that would/could never exist at a public school so the teams exist as clubs. The regattas are fun, social events, a lot like big picnics. You don't see your kid race for hours on end and when you do its only for a few minutes. However, Crew is a sport that gets the attention of colleges and women's rowing is a Title IX sport. Ca you say, "Scholarship!?"
It's good to see Samantha smiling again. Rowing gives her immense happiness from the competition and camaraderie and relief from the mundane existence of being a high schooler. It's great to have her around like minded peers. I continue to be reminded that Samantha was meant to be on or in the water; sailing, rowing, and swimming have been her favorite sports, with sailing and rowing being two things she excels at. Against other sailors and rowers Sam might be average but since there are so few excellent rowers and sailors Sam makes average look pretty damn good.
The trip to western South Carolina was a task, not an adventure, but we all survived. While Sam took the team bus the night before the rest of us did the trip in a day. We won't do that again without first administering Benedryl for the kids and happy pills for the adults.
Sam finished third in her four boat and second in her eight boat - more medals to her collection. I got a medal once. When I was in my twenties. For finishing second in a 5k. Sam's got me beat many times over in rowing medals.
Of course Sam lives for the drama of the "suffering" of crew. The callouses, the shoulder pain, the shear insanity of "rowing as hard as you can, you-just-don't-understand." Oh, the humanity! Sam certainly whips it up to a frenzy. The week before the regatta Sam couldn't stop talking about it; partly because one of the boys was/is supposed to ask her to the prom. In the 24 hours since she got home Samantha hasn't stopped talking about each event - almost down to each stroke and has endlessly complained about her soreness and her sun burn...Again - it's great to see her in such high spirits.
Merrily, merrily, merrily.
No comments:
Post a Comment