Swim Tests

When we go swimming at the Y, the kids and I swim in the big pool. It is 25 yards long (standard length) and 9 feet deep in the deep end. The shallow end goes for about 15 meters before there are buoys on a rope that separate the deep end from the shallow end. In order to swim in the deep end of the pool you need to pass a swim test. The test requires you to swim from the edge of the pool at the shallow end to the rope that separates the two ends. You then need to tread water for 10 seconds and then swim back to the edge of the pool at the shallow end.

Violet has been practicing doing this so she can swim in the deep end of the pool. I was confident that she could do it several weeks ago, but it took her until this weekend to get her to try doing “THE swim test”. Hayden has been practicing as well, except he has only made it about half way to the rope before he has asked for my assistance.

 The other day, Violet told the lifeguard that she wanted to do the swim test. She started by swimming to the rope and then she had to tread water. There was no issue with this. She then began to swim back to the end of the pool and made it with no issue. Having completed the swim test Violet was now able to go in the deep end. Not wanting to be out done by his sister, Hayden proclaimed that he wanted to do the swim test. I told him he needed to practice before he could do it. He wanted no part in that, so he pushed off the shallow edge of the pool and began to swim. I was following him along and it took him a long time to get to the rope because he periodically lost forward momentum and was just treading water. After telling him to kick his feet he would regain forward momentum. I only had him tread for 5 seconds at the rope because he was looking extremely tired. On his way back, he yelled out “DAD!” so I reached out to help him.

 After having grabbed on to my arm he looked at me in disgust and yelled at the fact that I helped him because he didn’t pass his swim test. As I was taking Hayden back to the shallow end he was fighting back tears and saying that he was going to complete the swim test. I told him that it took Violet a long time and a lot of practice to pass the swim test but he would have no part in it. He kicked off the wall again and began heading his way to the rope. I didn’t notify the lifeguard since Hayden was still tired from the previous attempt. After having made it to the rope more quickly this time I asked the lifeguard to watch.

 Hayden treaded water for 10 seconds and then headed back to the other end of the pool. He kept swimming and then would grab at the water losing all forward momentum. I would tell him to kick and he would get going again. After seeming like forever Hayden finally made it back to the wall and successfully passed the swim test.

 While Hayden may not have had a lot of experience or finesse, he had more than enough stubbornness to pass the swim test.