Last week the three older kids had soccer camp in the mornings. I prefer to do a morning camp because it is cooler (ha!) and to try to do camps in early June for the same reason. DS#1 and DS#2 both enjoyed the camp, it was small and the coaches are very good. DS#1 enjoys training with one of the coaches that happens to be leaving to take a position coaching a D1 NCAA college team. DD surprised us by wanting to do soccer camp, and then by stating that she wants to play soccer in fall. We have agreed to sign her up for the "micros" at the same club the boys play with because she has also said she wants to drop dance and gymnastics (must have been too "girly" for her).Personally, I am going to be looking for a swim club that helps train younger children without working them so much that they end up quitting. DD LOVES swimming and moves through the water so naturally that I'd love to encourage her to do more. The problem is, the swim clubs that I know of in the area are very focused, often expecting the kids to work out 5 days a week. In addition, the practices I have watched simply aren't "fun" like the practices I had when I was a kid. I guess if you want to create a new Michael Phelps you have to start working the kids like machines early.
This is a picture from this morning's swim meet showing DD WAY ahead of the pack. Other parents have been telling us how DD is "so serious" at practice and talk about how well she swims. We get a kick out of it. DS#1 is only swimming to have some time to hang out with a few of the other kids his age in the neighborhood. DS#2 doesn't have any interest at all. The boys, of course, are built perfectly for swimming. They need coaching, and the desire to swim, but could both be amazing swimmers. DD moves so naturally through the water, and has such a love for it, that I really hope we can encourage her to continue.This where I comment yet again on the parents I ran into while coaching, parents that had their kids on swim team because THEY swam when they were kids. I told my lovely wife years ago that I did not want to be a parent that forced their child to participate in a sport just because *I* did it when I was a kid. As long as they participate in something, and have fun, I am happy. Would I love for one of the kids to swim? Absolutely, but I am not going to force it.
Tomorrow my lovely wife is on-call so I will have to decide what to do with the kids. We have been outside a lot over the past week so I am thinking about an "indoor day" again. I kept the kids inside Friday afternoon after soccer because we spent so much time outside on Thursday (--I just realized I didn't post anything about Thursday, well, you'll have to check my wife's post here.). The swim meet this morning had us all outside for a long time again so maybe it will be time for some indoor games tomorrow.
Well, this was another long post. DD and DS#2 have another summer camp lined up this coming week. DS#2 is going to "Medieval Battles" camp where he can participate in large scale war games using somewhere around 3,000 painted miniatures and DD is going to be in a "Magic School Bus" camp where she will be learning about volcanoes and outer space. DS#2 is probably going to miss a day of the camp on Thursday morning because he will be having a sleep-over birthday party on Wednesday night. We'll have to see how that works out. I guess DS#1 plans to relax this week but I have a feeling his siblings will wake him up.
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