Before the CSC Brunch Banquet

      Matt and his USA swim coach, Chris P.  Last year, I predicted that Matt would be as tall as Chris this year...I will let you be the judge!  I think Chris is 6'4". 

     Our annual CSC banquet was yesterday, a brunch honoring all the swimmers and their families (Matt, Mike and Daniel at right)...around 300 swimmers in our club, so that's a big undertaking, and a whole lot of people and chatting for a morning. 

      We look forward to this each year and enjoy seeing the swimmers and their families.   

      In photo in back:  Daniel, Jonathan, Matt, Nick, Harrison; in front:  Mike, John, and Peter.    

      Matt F. missed being in the guys photo, but didn't mind posing with some of the girls.  Left to right:  Margaret, Lauren, Matt F., Taylor, Erica, Jessie, and Sarah.

      I confess, my knowledge these days gravitates more toward the older swimmers rather than the younger ones...the club encompasses swimmers from age 6 to high school, with some college student alums coming back in the summers to swim again for long course with the club. 

      My friend Jan and I were marveling at how our boys were all the size of the littlest ones when they were just starting out in swimming, and now...well, our boys are some of the tallest, Johnny being a junior this year, and Matt a sophomore. (Jan and Johnny at right.) 

      The speeches from the graduating seniors now bring tears to our eyes and lumps to our throats, whereas many years prior to this, they were just nice inspiring stories.  Now we are saying goodbye to kids we have known and been swimming with for ten years. 

      Jessie (pictured at left with Lauren and Carly) gave the girls' speech and Josh (JJ) gave the boys' speech.  Jessie's was sweet and meaningful, and while Josh's was all that, it was also very humorous, as is fitting for JJ. 

      Josh is an amazing swimmer...most all of the swimmers come up through the ranks, from the time they are 6 and 7.  Josh, however, just started swimming four years ago and is one of the best CSC has...national times, etc., and next year he will swim in college for Ohio State.  

      In his speech he recalled how he was playing in the backyard four years ago and his parents saw Michael Phelps being interviewed on tv, the interviewer pointing out that Michael's arm span was greater than his height, etc.  Sherry and Larry called Josh in, told him to hold out his arms, started measuring, and said, "You aren't going to like this maybe, but from now on, you are going to swim!"  And, so he did...working his way up very quickly to national time status. 

      Another photo of some of the guys, this one with Josh as he was not in the first, also including another fan favorite, Charles.  Left to right:  John, Dan, Matt, Nick, Josh (JJ), Mike, and Charles. 

      We have come to enjoy watching JJ's career soar as he lives across the way from us, swims the same swims Matt does, and is just a whole lotta fun to be around.  It won't be the same at meets with JJ gone next year. 

      So, here are photos of swimmers, etc.  Laurie, Ali, and Buddy at right, and last, but not least, a shot of the two singer swimmers, Matt and Ali. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

      A lot of noticeable gaps here as I could not get around the room with so many people and the swimmers are all like trying to nail jello to the wall to have them stand still for photos while they are busy socializing.  Sometimes I can pin them down for photos after the banquet, but not this year as they all drive, and they were headed out as soon as things wrapped up for other things, jobs, choir, etc.  This was the best I could do this year.  Enjoy!  (You can click on all photos to enlarge.)