There are two types of necklaces to be earned at the YMCA pool. The first one is the yellow necklace. To earn this the kids have to swim half way across the pool and float for just a few seconds. Both kids earned this necklace last year and were allowed to swim in the shallow water alone. The next necklace is the coveted green necklace. This is a much harder necklace to earn and one that every child wants to have around their neck. This necklace allows you to go anywhere in the pool by yourself and lets you go down the two watersides.
Both of the kids are pretty good swimmers, but they couldn’t tread water for the required minute. Because Tom was an All American swimmer growing up, he is in charge of teaching the kids to swim. They also go to him to learn and then listen to what he has to say. Because we have been going to the pool so much over the last few weeks, Faith has really gotten better. On Saturday morning we went to the pool at 10:00am after Wilson’s sports class. Faith and Tom practiced her treading water for many hours. At 2:00pm she decided to take the swim test. She did amazing! She swam better than I have ever seen her swim. She swam the full length of the pool by herself. She rested for a few minutes and then treaded water for one minute. Her little feet and arms were moving so fast in order to keep her head above water. The life guard that was giving the test told her to slow down or else she was going to be too tired to finish. I don’t think that she could have slowed it down. She is so tiny that she must have needed to move fast in order to stay up. It was actually really cute.
She passed the test. I was so proud of her I almost cried. There aren’t too many goals that six year old have set for themselves yet. However, this was a big one for Faith. She wanted that necklace. I seriously don’t think that she has taken it off since she earned it. It is a bragging right. Here is my little swimmer…