Practice makes Piranha

I can't remember which Howe brother in law use to call me the PE Nazi (Peter, Aaron hey it could of even been Jeremy?). I have the belief that just like academic classes in High School are graded on how well you perform, PE should be the same way. I don't think that a student taking Biology should get an A just because they dressed appropriately and showed up 90% of the time. No it all comes down to tests and a performance of their Biology knowledge, if they can't run a lab test well, they don't get an A for showing up. The same should be for PE, A's go to the kids who perform outstandingly. They win the badminton tournament, they run the mile under 7 min (OK maybe 8 min.) Well maybe my theory has changed a little bit. Olivia my very precocious 5 year old, has wanted to be a Palo Verde Piranha since her sister swam last year on the team. She had yet to swim a 25 without stopping a requirement for joining the swim team. But I had talked to the coach and as long as the team roster wasn't full what would the harm be letting her workout with the team? The coach was on board for letting her participate. The first meet came....and went she didn't compete. But we knew at this point she could do it. The day of the second meet she was really nervous but she said she wanted to do it. It made me nervous watching herself sike up to it. She was to do one event freestyle. She got up looked like she was going to run away and then the buzzer went off and she jumped into the pool and swam her heart out not stopping once to grab onto the lane lines, she was awesome. She finished! She didn't get first but she didn't get last a real A performance. I cried at the finish line because I knew how much she really wanted to be on the team, it was beautiful a real Rudy moment. Once I knew Liv could do it and wasn't in jeopardy of being replaced , I began to recruit for Bella's relay (hey I maybe willing to give an A for effort but I am still competitive). The recruiting was a success. They now have an awesome medley relay and a freestyle relay. Incidentally Bella has an awesome backstroke, she has gotten first place every meet, not that it matters ;)