You guys are filling up the volunteer spots . . .we are getting close, and I know we will get there . . . thank you, thank you so much!   I feel you, making a commitment for Saturday morning at this point in the year is about the last thing any of us want to think about . . . it's the end of the year, my kids are lucky if throw a peanut butter sandwich at them for dinner this week, and I almost walked out of the house this morning in our slippers . . . but our swimmers need us!

One of the spots we are still in need of filling is one of our ready bench assistant spots, and one of our faithful (pretty sure she has worked both sessions of time trials and both meets so far to help our kids out) ready bench volunteers has written a great description about the benefits of working the ready bench.  (Truthfully we all owe Kirsten a HUGE thank you for helping getting our kids lined up a ready to race, and for keeping out meets moving efficiently.  The biggest source of meet slow downs and delays is without a doubt an inefficient ready bench.  Kirsten has not only kept our meets moving, she is super fun and encouraging with our kids!  Thank you Kirsten (Josh Perryman, Mandy Hantla and others) for taking care of our kids, and helping us get our meets wrapped up before noon!!)

Hello, Tsunamis!

Do you think the ready bench is too stressful, too hard, or too hot?

It’s not.

Josh Perryman and I have tons of experience, and we love doing this. We can make sure that you have fun, get to meet lots of swimmers, and help get our kids (and the other team) up to the blocks in a way that will insure they have a good race. All you need is a little bit of patience, a strong voice, and a sense of play. We are the last people the kids see before they swim, and that’s really special. We get to send them out feeling great about themselves. I personally know the names of about 80% of the Tsunamis — I’ll know them all by the end of the summer. Vera and her fabulous team keep us hydrated, we have a walkie talkie, and we can use our Type A personalities for the greater good.

And, it’s a great way to work on your tan.

So, please, consider the ready bench. You’ll be glad you did.

Kirsten

 

Dr. Kirsten Pullen

Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

Department of Performance Studies

Texas A&M University

TAMU4240

College Station, TX  77843-4240

[email protected]