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The Cost of Winning
Read more: The Cost of WinningThere’s a light that shines from behind the young coach’s eyes that inspires confidence and belief in his swimmers; they huddle around him after warm-ups and listen intently before belting out a cheer; they utter his name with reverence when they walk the deck chatting about race plans; between their events, they stand at the…
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Midsummer
Read more: MidsummerCartter says he doesn’t want summer swim team to be over. I appreciate the sentiment. Running free with favorite teammates on deck amid the prolonged twilight, backstroke flags at either end of the pool flaunting the neighborhood’s colors – greens and yellows, bold reds and blues – bursts of cheers following each blare of the…
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Summer at Home
Read more: Summer at HomeOn a Saturday morning, I know I can count on my dad to be in his upstairs bedroom at the Sullivan’s Island house, propped on a pillow doing the crossword puzzle. He’s up there on Fridays too. And Thursdays. Not Sundays, though. He golfs on Sundays. Every now and again, I’ll be surprised to round…
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Identity Shopping
Read more: Identity ShoppingCartter takes his guitar all over the house with him. He sits on the couch with it resting in his lap. He lies on the living room floor with it laid across his stomach. His mother bought him a stand so he could set it in his room, but when an urge strikes (and an…
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25 Fly
Read more: 25 FlyBy 8:00 p.m. at the summer season’s first home meet, the stress is starting to wear on me. I’m running the timing system, which means I’m basically a one-man IT department responsible for verifying results and ensuring the meet runs on time. There are at least 300 people, probably closer to 400, crowded onto the…
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Easter: The R-Rated Holiday
Read more: Easter: The R-Rated HolidayEaster weekend 2025 was a lesson delivered by the children in what we ought to consider “inappropriate.” It started on Thursday, the last day of school before break, when I was invited into Cartter’s classroom as the “mystery reader” for the week. I’d thought that Cartter might not want me to participate in this potentially…
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Left Behind
Read more: Left BehindAs the final pair painstakingly made its way around the last holes late Sunday at the Masters, the empty fairways were a sad sight. Not long before, they glistened with dew in the morning sunlight; players strode down their centers after blistering drives; and patrons stood scattered around their edges admiring the spectacle. Then, there…
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Checkmate
Read more: CheckmateThis past weekend I found out that Cartter has been playing chess every Friday at school. “I always play for fun Friday,” he said. We were out to dinner after an afternoon at the park. When we got home, we played a game, and he beat me. I slowed him down twice before he could…
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Linus and Lucy
Read more: Linus and LucyI’m starting to wonder if our next dog will sing along the way our lab Sammy does while I play the piano. I imagine trying to play her song without her, and I think keeping it a duet would help. Some things are better with a friend. While I worry about becoming a solo act,…
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My Kid is a Shark
Read more: My Kid is a SharkLately I’ve found myself talking very excitedly about my son’s swimming, mostly to my wife, but also to his friend’s father, my physical therapist, my parents, my coaching colleagues . . . basically, anyone to whom my son’s nascent swimming career is even remotely relevant is aware of his budding talent. “He’s doing that already?”…
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The Raging Elitist 