Championship season always inspires me to be reflective. I think about where we are and where we are going. Now that I have a few championship meets under my belt with GMA, I can compare years and remember what worked and what detracted from the experiences. I have so many memories of champs and I often use them to identify specific years. The year Merritt scratched into the 400IM as an alternate and KILLED it. The year that Lindsay cried as she faced the 1000 free. The year of David Wood. The year my own son got so scared to be in a relay with the big boys that he swam the fastest 100 free he had ever swum by 4 seconds. All of these memories are critical components in our team history and have become bricks in the foundation of our growth.
So now I ask, what will it be this year? I want all of the athletes to take a moment and think about what the new bricks will be made of. I’m talking about more than memories and funny stories. I am talking about experiences, races, moments that will reinforce our long term goals; that will teach the up and coming athletes what a championship meet should be like. I am talking about real contributions to our team’s fabric, things that will endure and remind future championship teams why we do this great sport. So if it is your first year at champs or your last, you all have an opportunity to leave behind something of yourself and the team you are a part of right now. Next year it will be different. You will have a new role to play and a new responsibility so seize this meet, this time, this team. Make it yours! You have the power to be a legend and a hero! The impact of these moments will reverberate through the team during the meet, to your teammates still at home, and down through to the first year swimmer in the State group. So make a plan, and get ready to add to the architecture of this incredible team that is GMA! I am proud of you all!
- Eileen Hall
