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NYAC
Central Region Team Champs
F E B R U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 0 7
By Coach John
NYAC has had a long and distinguished history, filled with Olympic performers, National level champions and world record
holders. Pausing to reflect where this moment fits into such a glamorous past, it occurs to me that it really represents the es-
sence of the club. For the Administration of the club it represents their basic belief that the vibrancy and worth of NYAC
rests in its most youthful swimmers, providing opportunities to grow both competitively and personally. For the dedicated
coaches of NYAC, it tells us that all of the lessons that we try to teach in daily practice have meaning. For our parents it is a
moment that clearly demonstrates that swimming and the sacrifices that it requires are worth it. At NYAC, we know that the
enormous commitment made by parents, for the most part, is quiet and goes without recognition. For our swimmers, this
moment can mean possibilities and hope for the future, make us believers in ourselves to help us meet the challenges of per-
sonal resilience and group support.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise; indeed it would have been hard for anyone present to think that the sixty NYAC
swimmers knew they were to be crowned champions of the Central Region Team Champs at the Etobicoke Olympium on
Sunday, February 25. With most of the crowd departed, the setting did not naturally lend itself to high drama and hys-
teria, but when the announcement was made one could be forgiven for thinking our beloved Maple Leafs had overcome
40 years of frustration and scored the winning goal to reclaim the Stanley Cup. Even better, one hundred and twenty small
feet and arms jubilantly raced across the pool deck to wrestle their trophy from the apprehensive presenters. It was simply
a very beautiful and magical moment and one that will be remembered for a long, long time.
I have spent a lifetime in competitive
swimming, and as a result, most of my
close friends are retired swimmers.
Many were outstanding swimmers rep-
resenting Canada at international meets
and many were average performers,
but all were fierce competitors that
trained hard everyday and carried with
them an enduring humility. If anyone
ever slipped, prompted by a great per-
formance, to mutter a spontaneous dec-
laration of greatness on the deck, he or
she was quickly reminded of his or her
many failures both in the pool and es-
pecially in life in order to return them
to their more appealing nature. The
declaration that, "I really kicked butt,"
after a race would be instantly met with
"Are you forgetting about your disaster
in Brampton last month?". We under-
stood the necessity to support each other
especially that someone who was having
a tough day. A great personal victory was
to be celebrated internally to avoid creat-
ing an even greater burden on those
around you that were not performing at
their best. It is a self-evident truth that in
competitive swimming, everyone will
have those challenging days, and they
hurt, disappoint and anger all of us. It is
of crucial importance to build personal
resilience and a supportive group dy-
namic in swimming. These are the key
factors in a long and enjoyable swim-
ming career. When talking with retired
swimmers whom you respect, and ask
them to reflect on their careers in the
pool and identify just what they think
was important, you invariably hear
them talk about a moment, a single
moment when they realized that
they could perform and be com-
petitive in the pool; a moment
when they knew they belonged. It
struck me that many of those
swimmers competing at Central
Region Team Champs were experi-
encing a moment of spontaneous
joy, loudly celebrated but more
importantly, for many, deeply felt.
Perhaps it was the age, or the status
of most of our swimmers, or the
fact that they were just starting to
ascend the first few rungs of the
competitive ladder, but in all my
years of swimming, I cannot recall
a more magical moment.