Champs Party

Four years we've been at Fairview and on the swim team, but this was our first family Champs Party.  Four years ago and last year, we were in route to Michigan as soon as Andrew finished competing.  Two years ago, Michael took the big kids to the beach with a friend, so just Matthew (18 mo.) and I made an appearance.  We knew that we were missing quite a party, but we didn't know that we were missing "THE. VERY. BEST. NIGHT of my entire life!!!", as deemed by Andrew at 11:30pm when we left, with the evening still in full swing.  

 Despite the seemingly endless deluge after dinner, PJ and the kids were determined to have a great time celebrating the team's victory.   

  Yep!  #1, yet again, you were!  Another great summer!

Cramped under the roof due to the storm, awaiting the famous countdown of 18 team scores.  And what played again at the end???  "We Are The Champions!".  25 of the last 26 years....Fairview = A Tradition of Success.

The pool may have been cleared due to lightning, but the deck puddles (thanks to several inches of rain in the never ending downpour) were all the entertainment they needed for a few hours!  Clearly this was parenting at its best! 

What party drink doesn't taste better with an umbrella??

Emily and Margaret = "We're BFF's....sometimes." 

At 9:30pm, the kids were finally cleared to swim in the now infinity pool...so we planned an overflow - an easy accomplishment.  Let the party begin!  Mommy dip (no pictures!) singing, dancing, galore!  If nothing else, Fairview knows how to coach, win a meet, and throw a hell of a party.  


The Famous Whirlpool

 Party lasted until 3:00am (early, from what we've heard), 
but we made it until 11:30pm with nothing but smiles!  
#summerhome

Jefferson Swim League Championship Meet

(Click on post title to open in a browser for viewing videos.)

This was the 50th year of the JSL Swim Meet, held at UVA for the 18 teams in the league.  Fairview has won the city-wide meet 25 of the last 26 years, but you'll never hear JJ utter a single word about that, even to acknowledge it.  "Summer swimming is about seeing how you can improve yourself, both in swimming and in other ways that will hopefully translate into careers and all other areas of life."  The sport psychology PhD clearly has the winning formula.
 

6-and-unders lined up with their coaches and ready to go!

8-and-unders...a proud and confident crew.

 The calm before the storm.  

Pretty neat opportunity for these kids to swim in the DI-Collegiate pool.

Waiting his turn, watching the mixed 6 and under free relay finish up, 
including little sis:)

Tips from JJ before his 25 free, Andrew had a fine race and accomplished his goal of not breathing.

The wait for his anchor of the 8-and-under medley relay...

...almost off!

I just can't sit during races!

Sweet Margaret and Colin waiting their relay turn....first race of the weekend, their first race ever at UVA.

In the second fastest of 10 heats of 10 swimmers in 6-and-under, Margaret finished 3rd (by 0.27 seconds).  She was instructed to dive off of the side of the pool instead of the block because in practice the afternoon before, she was routinely diving too deep, a problem that worsens on the collegiate blocks because they are much higher.  With an improved dive and another year of strength and fine tuning, she has the potential to be "that" 6-yr-old next year.   

Margaret was the fastest of ALL 5-yr-olds in the entire JSL League (18 teams) in both free and back, finishing 5/100 in free and 10/100 in backstroke.  And the great thing is, she doesn't even care!  She just smiled, giggled, and asked when the after-party was supposed to start:-)  When JJ started working with Margaret at age 2, he said he couldn't wait to see where this might go.  We shall see! 

Post-race lunch.

Heading in for Andrew's Saturday morning session.

Yes, boys!  #1 indeed!  Linus (back), Colt (butterfly, as precise as any teenager I've seen!), Kyle (with a breastroke as efficient as a boat) and Andrew (anchoring with breathless free) absolutely rocked the medley relay.  These boys were seeded 1st out of 18 teams, but shattered their own record by an impressive 7 seconds, beating the rest of the field by more than 5 seconds.  They were in 4th place after back, Kyle made up time to barely get them in first, Colt extended the lead, and Andrew put the exclamation point on this sweet race.  

7-8's with their trusty leader, PJ.  PJ worked with Andrew hours and hours this season outside of practice (and his initiation) and claimed Andrew's stroke (particularly freestyle) improved over the course of the season as much as any 8-yr-old he's seen in one season---a compliment not to be taken lightly. 

Pretty neat to see your name listed in 1st place more than once...

and to achieve that sub-17-second goal. 

The post-relay coach high-5's...

"Yep, Dad.  We did it!"

Typical JJ...taking time away from his several hundred swimmers in the middle of Champs to help calm a teary child on another team. He took her from hysterics to dry eyes in just a few sentences. He'll do anything, for any child, anytime. 

Some coaches are just magic. ‪#‎fairviewpride‬