Olympic Dreams

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Lap swimming started at noon everyday all Summer at the outdoor pool in the small New England town, ending a morning that included six hours of swim team practices. The pool was older, built in the 1950’s or 60’s, but it had been well maintained and updated several times over the years. Still, it showed its age. Impressive, however, for such a small community. It was a full size Olympic pool when it was built, 50 yards in length, double the size of the indoor pool down the street. It also had a deep dive section that created an L shape, with an impressive three levels of dive platforms. The city recreation had made a serious commitment to swimming, and it paid off with one Olympian who took several gold medals and a couple other swimmers who got darn close to being Olympians. The pool served double duty as the town’s recreation pool and the Summer base for a very strong club program that was the producer of the amazing swim talent. From 6AM to noon, the pool filled with Speedo clad swimmers from all over the east coast, both genders. During the practices, a cadre of early teen girls would eventually line the grassy knoll behind the pool to watch the cute guys in their tiny swimsuits. Rain or shine, except for thunder, the swimmers were there. The pool was always open.

Jimmy grew up on a farm just outside of town. It was the summer just ahead of his 9th grade year, a big deal for a young man his age. He was a skinny kid, with little muscular development, and not very athletic. He was just starting to show an interest in girls, but not many showed an interest in him. He was one of the “poor kids,” the farm hardly made money and both Mom and Dad worked, for a dad a second job besides the farm. Something happened though, the prior Summer that really impacted Jimmy. He watched the Summer Olympics on the family’s old television and was captured by the swimming events. The guys looked amazingly strong, and the girls looked amazingly pretty. Jimmy had never really swam before, in fact he barely knew how. The thought percolated in his mind his whole eighth grade year. He never told anyone, not even his best, and really only, friend. At the local Kmart, his only hint to his mom was when he asked her to buy him a swimsuit, something he never had before. He knew his cut off jeans would not work. She bought him a pair of blue boxer short style trunks, the kind with a mesh liner inside and a drawstring. Not exactly what the real swimmers wore, but it was the best they could do.

The coach of the swim program sat at a table at the far end of the pool, eating lunch and finishing up his notes on the day. Often would meet one to one with his swimmers, and sometimes they would take one lane for some individual work. He didn’t pay much attention to the skinny young swimmer in the blue shorts who had arrived just as the open lap swimming started. Jimmy struggled swimming the length of the pool, clinging to the wall after each attempt. Fifty yards seemed like an eternity, he’d catch his breath and start again. He had no form, no skill, and no goggles. His arms fought the water, looking like he was on the brink of drowning. Despite all the reasons to just quit, Jimmy kept going, his mind focused on his desire to be a real swimmer. Oh sure, it would be easier to just sign up for lessons, but that took money, something his family didn’t really have.

The tall lean swimmer sat with the coach for a few minutes. The coach was giving him some feedback on his practice and his need to build more pull strength. Having just finished four hours of practice, he was still in the red and blue custom dyed team practice suit, a very brief cut swimsuit from Agon Swim. The suit looked so small and tight on his tall and muscular body, his long legs spread open as he sat in the chair, listening intently. Finally, he rose from the chair, grabbed his goggles and cap, and walked back toward the remaining open lane in the pool. The teen girls didn’t know what to look at first, his cute smile, his powerful and well defined upper body, his muscular legs, or the way the suit left nothing to imagine as it created a well outlined bulge in front. No matter what, they all were mesmerized by his handsome good looks. Cap on, he jumped back in the water, taking the lane right next to Jimmy.

“Let’s do some serious pulls,” the coach said as he rigged up the pull balloon and handed Greg the belt to wrap around his waist. Greg clasped the belt, made a few adjustments. “I want a solid set of five 100’s, ten second break between,” the coach said.

“You really know how to make a guy have fun, coach,” Greg said with a smile.

“All for your own good,” coach replied.

Greg pushed hard off the wall, but the balloon pulled back as it inflated with water. He felt the tug of the belt on his waistline, and he came to nearly a complete stop. He pulled hard with his arms, no kick as his legs wrapped around the pull buoy nestled almost up to his crotch. “This sucks,” Greg thought as he struggled to pull through the water. Greg was a swimmer from Connecticut, entering his senior year, and really hoping to swim in college. He spent the past two Summer breaks up in the small town known for its amazing swim program and working with the Olympic caliber coach. The impact on his swimming was obvious, just as the impact on his body was. He was a much better and stronger swimmer, but it came with work. His girlfriend, however, liked how all the extra workouts made him look in his Speedo suits, even though he never wore them at the beach. He did, however, wear them if the two of them hung out at her backyard pool.

Jimmy watched as the tall, lean swimmer next to his pushed off the wall and seemed to effortlessly pull the balloon down the pool. It just looked like hard work. It was a sight of contrast, Jimmy in his blue swim shorts fighting to make his way one length, while Greg seemed to glide down the pool and back, a serious swimmer look with his cap, shaded goggles, and the form fitting swimsuit. Greg was doing two full laps to each one of Jimmy’s lengths. Jimmy was in awe, that was exactly how he wanted to swim, and despite being outclassed by Greg, he took a great deal of motivation from watching his zoom by. Once the balloon was gone, Greg’s full form was inspiring. The strong, well timed kicks, the far reaching pulls, and the way he seemed to swim almost on his side, as if he was merely slicing the water. Oh sure, there was the fact that his body was amazing and he was built like a swimmer, which Jimmy also noted, but he was more taking in the skill. The coach paid Jimmy no attention, hardly a glance.

Coach wrapped up with Greg after about 45 minutes. Nearly five hours in the pool was good enough for now. Another workout at 6 and then Greg would call it a day and get some sleep. As the coach walked away, Greg hung out at the end of the pool, just enjoying the sunshine and the attention of the young girls. They were well under his age, but he got a kick out of the way they carried on over all the guys on the team. They reminded him of his kid sister back home. Boy crazy at that age. Greg turned and watched as Jimmy churned out another length of the pool.

“His swimming is a mess,” Greg thought to himself. “But he seems to just keep going,” Jimmy’s endurance came from all the work on the farm. Certainly not the same as swimming, but he had the ability to just plug away for hours on end. Jimmy made the wall and stood, the 4 feet of water up to the middle of his abdomen. He gulped air as much as he gulped water.

“Hi,” Greg said.

“Hi,” Jimmy replied. “You’re a really good swimmer,”

“Thanks,” Greg replied. As much as he was an amazing athlete, Greg was also a really kind hearted guy. Down to earth, no arrogance. “How long have you been coming here,” Greg asked.

“First time,” Jimmy replied.

“I’ve been watching you, you got lots of endurance,” Greg replied. “Want a few tips on the swimming?”

“That would be awesome,” Jimmy replied.

“Well, first we got to get you to keep your head down in the water. Every time you raise your head it stops all your momentum,” Greg explained. “Let me show you.” Greg showed Jimmy what he needed to do. Despite his advanced skill, he was a very patient teacher.

Jimmy absorbed very word and every demo. Certainly he was never going to get it right the first day, but Greg spent a solid half hour working with Jimmy. Once it looked like Jimmy had the right idea, Greg backed off.

“well, I’ve been in here for over five hours now,” Greg said. “Time to get out for me. You keep working on that.”

“Thanks, man,” Jimmy said. They never exchanged names. Jimmy hoped they would meet again.