For as long as I
can remember, competitive swimming has influenced my life. It gave me
self-confidence, taught me discipline and provided countless hours of fun. When
I turned thirteen and became old enough to volunteer as a swim coach, I jumped
at the chance because I wanted to share my love of swimming with young swimmers
and have them experience the same thrill I did when I was their age. More
importantly, it was my first opportunity to give back to my community while
doing something I felt passionate about. So, for the last four years and
counting, I get into the pool every Sunday for two hours to teach young
swimmers new concepts and work to improve their existing abilities.
Volunteering as a
swim coach is an unbelievably rewarding and gratifying experience. It makes me
a better swimmer because having to teach the swimming basics gives me an
awareness of the nuances of concepts I previously took for granted. I now
better appreciate what it takes to teach – patience, flexibility and creativity
– as well as the personal challenge that goes into working one-on-one with a
student who is having difficulty mastering a particular concept. Most of all,
there is no better feeling than getting the “high fives” or seeing the
triumphant, smiling faces of my students after their mastery of the new skills
that we have worked on.
