These timers know every second counts.
It’s a good thing, because at the Lakelands Lionfish reverse swim meet it was the parents doing the racing and their kids running the meet.
More than 40 parents of Lakelands Lionfish swimmers participated in the meet on July 16, the first time parents and swimmers switched roles.
Lionfish volunteer Marci McCalley spearheaded the effort, putting together 10 events with a mix of fun and traditional swim races.
“When I talked about it last year people thought it would be fun, but when we started talking about it seriously this year parents were not so willing to agree to participate,” McCalley said. “It was really when we announced it to the kids that the parents started agreeing to sign on and participate. Then it got rolling from there with a lot of ‘I will do it if you do.’”
Parents got a chance to race down the pool in 25-meter freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events. They teamed up for 100-meter freestyle relays. Fun races included one in which parents had to smash their faces into plates of whipped cream to find a Starburst candy and prove to the Lionfish kid judge that it was gone before diving in the pool in a four-swimmer relay. Other parents competed in a lane pull race in which they had to use the lane ropes to get to the other end. There was a water job race and kickboard events, too.
The most popular event was the 25-meter freestyle where there were four heats. Swimming parent Marci McCalley was crowned Queen of the Pool for having the fastest freestyle time at 15.34, and Michael Brick and Rene Brun shared the King of the Pool honor, tying for the fastest male freestyler at 13.62.
“It was a blast,” said swimming parent Jen Coulson, who entered in several events. “I had a goggle malfunction during the race.”
Lionfish swimmer Nick Ransing checks to be sure his parent swimmer finished chewing his candy in the Starburst relay race during the Reverse Swim Meet.
“I think my dad did amazing,” said Sam Parsons whose father, Phil, swam in the 25-meter butterfly event. “I didn’t even know he could do butterfly.”
Lionfish swimmer Lyla Kim watched as her mom motored her way down the lane in the kickboard race.
“She was really fast,” she said.
Many Lionfish parents prepared for the Friday meet.
“Lots of lionfish parents were spotted up at the pool the week before,” McCalley said. Lakelands coaches offered parents a tune-up clinic earlier in the week.
Still, many parents said they had more respect for how hard their kids worked during practices.
“My daughter Caroline signed me up I think as a measure of revenge,” said Andy Kopsidas, who raced in the rope pull event, winning his heat.
Team manager Connie Ingalls, who was disqualified for a false start in one of her events, said she hopes the reverse swim meet becomes an annual Lionfish tradition.
“I’m just glad they didn’t put us in age groups,” she said. “It does make you realize how hard it is for these kids to do all these events in one meet.”
From parents who swam to those who helped to sell concessions to the kids who ran the meet, McCalley said the event was a success.
“The meet was fun to plan as I was thinking about what would be the most fun for the kids. And the best part was seeing the kids’ reactions to the parents swimming, from the laughs to the high-fives and especially the hugs,” she said.