The weather was perfect on Saturday as we kicked off our 4th Annual Howey Invitational! Swimmers lined up for check-in and walked through an arch of colorful balloons with huge smiles and lots of excitement. Just as we had hoped, we couldn't have asked for a better event!
The pool water was a clear, welcoming shade of blue.
The lane ropes floated effortlessly on top of the water ready to do their job - to help guide swimmers of all ages from one end of the pool to the other. New accomplishments and improvements would soon be made… 25 yards at a time.
Chairs, bleachers and tents were set up pool side for parents, grandparents, and friends – the biggest and best cheerleaders of all. Family and friends who couldn't make it to the event were able to livestream the meet from home.
Swimmers were camped out and huddled together in the grass. They instantly recognized old friends and made new ones just as fast. Towels, goggles, snacks and card games scattered around them.
Coaches, teachers, lifeguards and office staff moved about in bright blue t-shirts to welcome and help swimmers and parents.
We’d been planning for this day for months and were so excited it was finally here. All of the hard work that had been going on both in and out of our pools was about to come to fruition.
Houston Swim Club’s 4th Annual Howey Invitational was about to begin…
There were sixteen events in all. We had individual events and relays. Swimmers from our Kingfish through Stroke level classes competed in all four strokes.
Some of them had never experienced competitive swimming before. We saw some scared little ones overcome big fears. Some participated in last year’s event and some more experienced swimmers have been on a summer swim team before. We saw many of those kiddos improve on their times and technique.
We saw coaches, parents and swimmers cheering for every child, regardless of what place they were in. It was just awesome.
We all cheered as each swimmer was announced by name at the start of each event. Maybe one day we’ll see one of these kiddos announced by name at the start of an Olympic games event. We have high hopes for our swimmers who are growing to love this sport.
We also know they won’t all go on to swim competitively, and we’re totally fine with that, too. Most importantly, we hope that their participation in HSC’s Howey Invitational provides them with a sense of accomplishment, improved self-confidence, and a continued love for the water.
Thank you to everyone who supported our event – swimmers, parents, grandparents, friends and employees who volunteered their time. We couldn’t have done it without each of you. It truly made our hearts happy! We think Howey may have been the happiest of all!
Summer is the perfect time to get started in swim lessons. Your child might be ready for the Howey Invitational next year!
If you or your swimmer is interested the next step for competitive swimming, then check out our summer recreational swim team – the Sharpstown Stingrays! (https://sharpstownswimteam.swimtopia.com/)
Written by Stephanie Burns, Site Director, Houston Swim Club Sharpstown
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