The first day of practice

Many teams start practice this afternoon--hopefully the air will be warm, the water won't be too cold, and the predicted thunderstorms won't show up--or at least not until after practice is over. There's no time to waste. Our first meet is June 14, just two and a half weeks away.

But this is a crazy time of year for families. Kids are still in school, so still busy with homework, exams, and then end-of-year school parties and other activities. Spring sports are still going on. Parents can get a little harried just figuring out how to get Johnny from baseball practice to swim practice to scouts. Morning practices usually don't begin until school is out, so teams have to crowd into the pools with the other patrons, stealing a few lanes and packing the kids in like sardines--if the kids can manage to get to practice at all, of course.

It's wild, but somehow we all manage to do it every year.