Trares
With a final kick and a splash, we reached a milestone.
Anthony poked his head out of the water as the smile spread across his face. He had just swam an entire lane across the pool by himself, without any flotation device or assistance from the instructors floating next to him. Even though his eyes were hidden behind fluorescent yellow goggles, I could tell he was pleased with himself.
This week marked the end of swimming lessons for Anthony. He had been going weekly since May at a local pool, where the staff would teach him to kick, breathe, lift his head out of the water and all the other skills needed to eventually become a strong swimmer.
We had wanted to get him into swim lessons for years. I love to frolic in the water, and even when he was a baby, he’d float in his specially made tube, kicking his legs underneath him like a little duck.
As Anthony got older, he’d jump at any chance to be in the pool — sometimes literally, as he’d launch from the side whenever we got close to the water. But he always had to have swimmies; he wasn’t strong enough to keep himself afloat without flotation.
That concerned us. The more he wanted to be in the pool, the more important it was that he knew how to keep himself above water.
The COVID pandemic and lack of options had pushed the decision on lessons down the road. But earlier this year, we found a perfect option. A new swim school was being built right around corner from our house. We did some research, and the approach seemed like a positive one — 30-minute lessons with instructors who focused on getting him more comfortable in the water, then working on things such as kicking, breathing technique and kicking off.
Anthony was excited to start, even if he didn’t know what to expect. The first day, the instructors led him to his pool lane, while my wife and I sat in the glassed-in parent observation area and waved to him.
His first couple of lessons didn’t seem to bring much progress, but his progress was happening under the surface. All of the sudden, he took off — figuratively, in his skills, and literally, as he zoomed from the wall halfway across the pool.
Each week seemed to bring more success and more confidence. He started using float sticks to keep his upper body above water, but soon transitioned to a pool noodle instead. He gained strength and got better at managing his breathing.
Soon, he was swimming back and forth without any trouble. And when we got into our neighborhood pool, he would swim further and further by himself, testing his skills and seeing how far he could go (with me close by in case he got in trouble.)
All of which culminated this week, when he finished the requirements to move up a level. It happened to fall on the final swim lesson, as other commitments and the upcoming winter made it difficult to keep going.
But watching Anthony moving through the water, I knew that he’d keep building his skills every time we got into the pool. He’s already asking when we can go swimming next, even if I keep telling him the pools are closed for the year.
Guess we’ll have to try and find some indoor options — you can’t keep a little fish out of the water.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
