pool closed

My girls are no longer Flying Fish swimmers, they are now Big Gators and quite disgruntled about it. In their hearts they are Flying Fish, in my heart they are flying Fish and I am a Flying Fish mum. But for the next year, give or take a few months, there will not be a Flying Fish team.

The pool we used belonged to Miami Dade College and a few months ago it was closed down by the Board of Health without notice. They may have realised it was coming but they didn't share that news with the teams that rent the pool, any of them or any of their Life Guards. One day we all received a text, Pool Closed, meet at Mak for practise. So we did, for 3 months. it was horrid. The pool is old and dirty and and and BUT we had a pool to swim in. The lifeguards and pool personnel from MDC were just told not to come to work and were not paid for 3 months. and left hanging daily as to whether the pool would be open. That is just wrong.

Miami Dade College told coach about 6 weeks ago that they were shutting down for a year to make changes and updates. He immediately flew into action to relocate us. No joy. After 35 years of teaching swimming he is hanging up his bright green shirts and his name and is joining forces with another team. This is the only way we can get access to a pool. It's crazy but here in Miami we have very very few 25 metre pools and even less that are open for public use. Everybody has their own pool in the back garden.

Friday night was our last night as Flying Fish, for 120 days we will unattached swimmers and come the new year we will be Big Gators. (even I don't like the name). We are really lucky to have a coach that cares so much. He could have just said, well that's it, join another team and when things get sorted out we'll start back again. This man has a large, ego and for him to join forces with another team, really shows how much he cares.

We asked all the kids to wear the team shirts on Friday for one last set of photos and even though practise was it's usual tough workout they had a little more fun in the pool and on the deck. Big Boss Man wasn't there, he took off for a few days. It was strange to wrap it up with out him. Better for him though, I think.

The early arrivers and the 2 assistant coaches

Coach Pedro. Rosies new Coach since June

She's ready

She is so small yet SO mighty in the water.

I see you Mummy. The Coaches were laughing cos I was in the stands taking photos and she saw me and everytime she broke the surface during breaststoke she popped out with a smile.

Same odd hand angle as her big sister. On an up side at least I can spot them easily.

Friday night is relay night. 

Love to see her dive and since it was our last night I got really close to the action. Not sure what the photo situation will be like at the new pool.

The group Mascot. 

On Tuesday of last week I received a text shortly before swimming was to start, to ask if I could bring Rosie to the later class for a try out. The coaches have known she can physically "do it" for a while now but BossMan was concerned that if she got kicked by a 13 yr old, or hit by a big lad, accidentally but with full swimming force, it would really hurt her. Well she tried out and she is in. She is a whole lot younger than most of her group mates and she is faster than some of the bigger boys which was funny to see. They were coming up to me and saying Dang, Rosie is fast. They chose her to be the group mascot. LOL

Lily and her Coach, Coach Vlad. She loves training with him and I am so glad he is coming to the new pool also.

Cos swimming for 2 hours isn't hard enough. let's use paddles

So many swimmers in the water it looks like Ocean surf.

head down

Lilys group of crazy friends. All of them are really nice kids.

crazies!

Oops, just one more cos I like it. 

On Monday afternoon I am heading over to MDC to the pool deck with Bossman to gather up the teams kit. The pull buoys, kick boards, etc etc. and we are loading up my SUV and heading over to Riveira, our new home, to set it up. This is a new chapter and we are looking forward to it. Each day brings us closer to being Flying Fish again, and having a whole new team for the kids to compete again can only be a good thing. New friendships, new pool, new horizons.