Chapter Three
PERFECT PRACTICE
“Hey, Larissa! Hi, Anna!” Jenny called out to her teammates. They turned around and waved her over. Jenny grinned as she jogged up to the cluster of girls already waiting for practice to begin.
It was the Knights’ second week of practice, and Jenny was feeling good about joining the team. All of the girls were really nice, and they’d made her feel so welcome — she hadn’t felt nervous once!
As usual, they would be starting in the gym. They always did some warm-ups and stretching before getting into the water.
“Okay, ladies,” Coach instructed, “let’s start with squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees as deeply as you can, and hold your arms straight out in front of you. Let’s do ten.”
Jenny and the other girls spread out and started their warm-up exercises. Once they’d gotten nice and loose, they went to the pool and began their swimming drills.
When her turn was up, Jenny jumped in and swam a 100-yard freestyle course. The team was working on counting their strokes and trying to take fewer, but more powerful, strokes each lap. By her last lap, Jenny was crossing the length of the pool with three fewer strokes than on the first lap.
When Jenny climbed out of the water, Larissa, a swimmer from last year’s team, was waiting on the deck for her turn. “Wow, Jenny, your freestyle is really strong!” she said.
“Thanks!” Jenny replied with a smile. She went to sit on the bench as another group of girls ran the drill. Maya came over and plopped down next to her.
“You looked great out there,” she said. “You were the fastest in your group, for sure. How many strokes did you cut?”
“Three,” Jenny said.
Maya whistled. “Nice!” she said. “Keep swimming like that, and you’ll help us win meets for sure!”
* * *
At the end of practice, Coach gathered the girls on the benches.
“Our first meet is on Friday,” she told them. “Make sure you arrive early so that you have time to get settled in before warm-ups. I’ll be waiting for you poolside. You’re all doing a beautiful job here, and I’m sure you’ll do great at the meet.”
The girls cheered and ran to the locker room to change. Jenny was starting to feel excited about the swim meet. Practice was so much fun, and she loved being on the team. Maybe the competition would be fun too! She felt ready to give it a try.