SAIL - Craig Report - Week Three

With two teams of this size, the parking in around the GCC was a real bear. All the side streets and the parking lot were totally full. The pool area looked very nice, well where there wasn't a body standing.

The Deck was no different. But as usual, the meet was running like a well oiled machine. The GCC staff was at their normal place beside the pool cheering on the swimmers. My dear, dear, Sara. Sara Mendez, the most independent personality I have met in SAIL. Keep being you; you'll do well in the future.

Gower folks were doing their usual job, screaming and just enjoying the event.

I did hear that the meet was started off with a Coach vs. Coach Race. Didn't hear who won, but Jay Crout acted like he was happy about something.

Second Stop, Holly Tree @ Neely Farm

One note, we need your thoughts and prayers for the speedy recovery of the SAIL rep for Neely Farms, Mary Margaret Goodlett. I found out that she was admitted to the Hospital this week. Good Vibes to Mary Margaret from all of her SAIL friends.

A big kudos to NF on the depth of their pool, it was right up to the lip. This is the best way to get a pool ready for a meet. It helps in a number of ways, the pool is deeper at the start end, and as the meet progress and water is lost, the pool will still be deep enough for safety at the end of the meet.

Our future "Teacher of our Youth" Mary Ellen Hiller was helping with their Holly Tree team. Mary Ellen, welcome to the world of "working a real job for a living".

To give you an idea about how our part of the state has grown, ten years ago, just a little way from Neely Farm subdivision, I was sitting on a bucket with a shotgun trying to shoot Dove. If I did that in the same place now, the folks at Target would call the cops on me. Man how things have grown up in this area.

Third Stop, Forrester Woods @ Stonehaven

Beth Douglas was there for Forrester Woods, beaming as usual. Also helping her is a long time swimmer for FW as well as Mauldin High, Salutatorian Rebecca Brown. Becca, you will be missed at Mauldin High.

Stonehaven has even more ties to Mauldin High Swimming; John Henikman is one of the Coaches at Mauldin. John also has a very important date coming up the last few meets of the season prior to Divisionals. He's getting married! Congratulations John, hope your future years are as happy as my 30 years have been.

Also, Stonehaven has the Cadillac of all Starter Stands I have ever seen. This thing is a custom made Stainless Steel, Aluminum frame, Plexiglas front, and Teak wood cup holders, and Teak Deck. It actually will fold up to fit in a closet just off the deck. Really a first class, good looking platform.

Fourth Stop, Sugar Creek @ Spaulding Farms

Really quick stop ... didn't stay long at all. Talked with the Bad boys of SF. And the Coaches of Sugar Creek. Saw an old friend that is in College and an old Coach of SF, Erin Kennedy.

Fifth Stop, Foxcroft @ Silverleaf

An annual stop for me, these two teams have been swimming each other for many years. They know each other very well and it shows in how the meets are run.

Coaches Scott Williams and Kristen Rollins were there doing their thing as usual. I got feeling a bit old with Scott standing beside me. He's one of those swimmers that seem to have been around ever since I got into this amazing sport. But I must have shrunk or something, he is Big now.

Silverleaf Coaches, The two Coaches that I know better than any other in SAIL.

Gretchen Lentz, and Erin Jamieson, I usually take some of my screwy ideas to these two first. Erin is the daughter of long time SAIL official trainer and all round good guy, Paul Jamieson.

I feel like I am home here, Chris Hotz, his wife Kathy, and their two children, Emily and future new Stevie Ray Vaughn, Will, have become very close to me, even thought they live on the other side of Greenville from me, we find ways to see each other. Just so happens that we will be vacationing just one block away from each other on Edisto Island the first week of August.

Well that's it for this one.

Again, we have something very special with the program we have here in Greenville.

All of you should be very proud of what we are doing for the youth in our area!

Coach Liaison
Craig Smith