Westin Banks English Literary Narrative September 10 2013

I can remember it like it was yesterday the water splashing the c!ach yelling and me w!ndering what I g!t mysel" int!# It was "reshman year and I was a skinny y!$ng 1% year !ld naive kid thinking I was the greatest swimmer !n the planet# &hat was all $ntil I went t! my "irst swim team try !$t# It was 3 !'cl!ck and I h!pped !n the b$s t! g! t! swim try !$ts# I was "eeling s! c!n"ident in my ability t! swim I was sitting !n the b$s thinking I was the best swimmer there# I was thinking ab!$t the "amily members that I had beat in races and all the years !" being the best swimmer in the "amily b$t all this c!n"idence was wiped away "r!m $nder me beca$se be"!re the b$s even p$lled !"" the c!ach screamed ( this is n!t a p!!l t! have "$n in this is swim team and i" y!$r here t! mess ar!$nd then the d!!r is right there#( )y *aw dr!pped and I was immediately very intimidated# &he intimidati!n was beginning t! take !ver my b!dy and my heart began t! p!$nd pr!"$sely !$t !" my chest and my breathing started t! get sh!rt# I was nerv!$s e+$ivalent t! h!w nerv!$s a c!llege st$dent w!$ld be i" they walked int! their "inal and

didn't read there te,tb!!k !r d! any h!mew!rk all semester# &he c!ach really set the t!ne "!r the wh!le b$s ride s! it was pretty m$ch +$iet the wh!le trip t! the p!!l# -n the ride I *$st was thinking h!w I was g!ing t! sh!w the c!ach h!w "ast I was# -nce I g!t t! the practice I "elt kind !" l!st and !$t !" place the seni!rs seemed t! kn!w what t! d! and they began with their w!rk!$t# &he smell !" the str!ng chl!rine was s! str!ng that it alm!st began t! make my n!se r$n# &he seni!r's w!rk!$t l!!ked s! in t$ne and synchr!ni.ed they all were beginning t! swim the same str!ke and taking !"" "r!m the wall / sec!nds apart# 0ll this did was add t! my stress and intimidati!n b$t I was s!!n snapped !$t !" it when the c!ach began t! speak# &he c!ach said (all "reshmen in this lane ( s! I ran t! the lane eager t! impress my new c!ach and I began t! lead the lane in w!rk!$ts n!t kn!wing I w!$ld s!!n regret this# I *$mped int! t! the p!!l and the water sent chills d!wn my spine like n! !ther I th!$ght I had *$st *$mped int! an ice bath1 B$t the c!ld !" p!!l !r my intimidati!n wasn't g!ing t! st!p me "r!m sh!wing !""# I was s! ca$ght $p in mysel" thinking I was the "astest that I basically sprinted the "irst c!$ple !" laps# I c!$ld my arms already beginning t! b$rn and the c!ach "inally t!ld me t! st!p# I began t! smile beca$se I knew I killed the try !$t# B$t I th!$ght wr!ng beca$se the c!ach c!ntin$ed t! say 2-k g$ys great W03) 451( 0t that p!int I alm!st wanted t! cry beca$se my arms were s! tired already and we *$st had "inished 20 laps# S! the c!ach blew the whistle "!r the ne,t drill and began t! lead the lane# Be"!re I even made it t! the ne,t side 3 pe!ple had passed me in the p!!l# -nce I was !n my way back m!re pe!ple began t! pass me# Be"!re y!$ kn!w it I was leading the rear and the c!ach was yelling at

me t! st!p sl!wing everyb!dy else d!wn# &his was the p!int I reali.ed that swimming was n! *!ke what s! ever# I kept p$tting $p my best e""!rt b$t it *$st seemed like it wasn't en!$gh t! please the c!ach I always seemed t! "ind him walking right ne,t t! me was his eyes wide !pen l!!king at me like I had % heads# 6al" threw the practice I began t! get di..y "r!m swall!wing all the water "r!m being splashed the "ace# -nce I began t! start seeing d!$ble I g!t !$t !" the water and ran t! the bathr!!m and began t! thr!w $p break"ast l$nch and dinner# -nce I made it back $p t! the p!!l deck the practice had c!ncl$ded and the c!ach was saying his "inal remarks# 0"ter he "inished he t!ld the entire "reshman t! stay# 6e was g!ing t! let $s kn!w wh! made the team# 6e began t! call !$t names and a"ter he kept saying name a"ter name that wasn't mine each name began t! h$rt like a b$llet thr!$gh the chest# When he c!ncl$ded it was me an ab!$t 10 !ther kids still sitting and I knew that this was the end !" the r!ad "!r me# &he c!ach began t! say ( I'm s!rry b$t y!$ g$ys $n"!rt$nately didn't make it ( this sentence h$rt s! bad beca$se I came int! this p!!l thinking I was the man and I le"t "eeling like a little b!y# I was s! disapp!inted in mysel" and began t! think what was I g!ing t! tell my parents and my "riends beca$se I had already talked s$ch a big game# B$t the c!ach pr!ceeded t! say !ne thing that did spark my interest# 6e said that i" y!$ still want t! swim y!$ can take less!ns and c!me back and try !$t again# &his sparked a light b$lb in my head and I was decided I was g!ing t! d! this# &he wh!le b$s ride h!me while kids were s! $pset they didn't make the team p!$ting and crying the wh!le way h!me I was thinking h!w I was g!ing t! e,plain t! my parents that I

wanted t! take swim less!ns# I asked my parents and they were all "!r it# 7$ring my less!ns I began t! learn all the str!kes pr!perly and all the pr!per techni+$es# )y teacher ta$ght me h!w t! breathe in the water which helped greatly with my stamina# Ne,t thing y!$ kn!w I knew everything I needed t! kn!w ab!$t swimming and the less!ns were a s$ccess b$t they didn't pay !"" $ntil I made the team# )y ne,t step was t! ask 8!ach B$rd t! try !$t again "!r the team# I was s! nerv!$s walking t! his !""ice beca$se he was pr!bably the scariest c!ach I ever had# 0ll I had seen him d! was yelling and scream and never smile# S! I walked int! his !""ice and let him kn!w that I t!!k less!ns and still wanted t! try !$t# &hen he did s!mething that I never saw him d! he smiled1 6e smiled and said that he was s! impressed in me taking initiative and n!t giving $p that he a$t!matically gave me a sp!t !n the team1 I was s! e,cited that I gave him a h$g and ran !$t the l!cker r!!m# It "elt like the best day !" my li"e# I t!!k a l!t "r!m this e,perience with the swim team# I learned t! never give $p and sl!w and steady always wins the race# I als! learned t! n!t *$dge pe!ple s! +$ickly beca$se my c!ach ended $p being a very in"l$ential pers!n in my li"e and alm!st a sec!nd "ather he act$ally helped right a rec!mmendati!n that helped me get int! c!llege# S! in all all this e,perience did was make me str!nger and a better pers!n and I d!n't regret !ne sec!nd !" it#