Written by Coach Art
This month the coaching staff had a huge
playing field (pool) to choose from that best exemplifies the true spirit of a
FISH swimmer. A lot of what
embodies such a person goes back to the FISH mission: to encourage the pursuit
of excellence, while nurturing a love for the sport of swimming, and developing
the values and skills for success in life along the way. Our two swimmers sharing the honors of
FISH(ies) of the Month have on a consistent basis, even at such a young age,
represented the FISH mission to the fullest, even surpassing those
expectations, taking their love for the sport, amazing work ethic, and team
sportsmanship to a model all should strive to achieve. It is the entire coaching staff's
pleasure to award our FISH(ies )of the Month to Jillian Johnson & J.T.
Ewing.
Jillian really shined at this year's Mini
Championships securing individual gold medals and best times in the 50
Freestyle and the 50 Butterfly and helping her fellow 200 Free Relay teammates
get the silver medal. Her 50 Fly time
of a 36.64 earned her a USA Swimming 10 and Under "A" time. A truly amazing feat and time for an 8
year old! Jillian's performances
at meets are easily a reflection of how hard and how often she practices. Her near perfect attendance at around
95% paired with perfect practice performance, excellent listening skills,
demonstrations of skills and drills, and consistently lane leading are model
examples of her fantastic and positive work ethic. Jillian is as much a role model in the water as on
deck. She is always looking out
for her little sister and Mini FISH teammate Kiera. Always asking when her race is up so that she can cheer her little
sister on. Her support and team
spirit goes above and beyond what is expected; I remember at the Snow Dude meet
that she had finished all of her events but decided to stay until the very end
to cheer on the rest of her Mini FISH teammates.
J.T. also razzle-dazzled us at this year's
Mini Championships scoring a bronze medal in the 25 Freestyle, silver in the 25
Backstroke, and gold in the 25 Butterfly. He has broken the FISH team records in all of those events
as well as other team records, including helping his 7 & Under teammates
get the silver medal in the 100 Medley Relay and breaking that record too! This is J.T.'s first season with the
Mini FISH and he has already exhibited the qualities of the spirit of a FISH
swimmer. His attendance is near
perfect at 95% and he practices with perfection and precision in every drill he
is tasked to complete. J.T. is
also a lane leader and, at 6 years old swimming with kids a couple of years
older than him, that is quite an accomplishment. J.T.'s water ethic is also matched by is on deck
spirit. He is always cheering on
his Mini FISH teammates and I remember him positively psyching his fellow relay
buddies up for their race at Mini Championships.
Both of our FISH(ies) of the Month share
many of the same positive and energetic qualities that represent what we
believe show the true spirit of a FISH swimmer. Although they are constantly striving for the pursuit of
perfection, they are both "far" from perfect (yet). They have had their ups and downs at meets and they don't
win and get best times every time they compete, but what separates them from
the rest is the manner in which they respond to such situations. Jillian and J.T. always have respect
for their teammates, their competitors, and themselves. They win and lose the same way, with
grace and sportsmanship. They are
truly examples to follow and we expect this is only the beginning of the greatness
in whatever endeavors they may pursue.
