Senior Mag 2023: Chlorine couldn’t sink my second semester

As a freshman, I was always curious about the seemingly infinitely long road ahead of me in high school. In particular, I eagerly anticipated the fabled “second semester senior” portion, where life would theoretically become much easier and much more fun. Even during the first semester of my senior year, I vowed to spend more time with both friends and family in the spring without the added pressures of school (a hope especially relevant during college app season). 

However, upon actually entering second semester, these plans were derailed slightly. My mistake? I completely failed to consider the time constraints of participating in a spring sport.

Now, to be clear, I was not originally going to join the swim team again as a senior. While I had enjoyed my time swimming in junior year, my main motivation was to stay in shape and get faster for the upcoming water polo season. After the season ended in early May 2022, I had no intention of taking another lap around the pool a year later. 

The problem was that some of my friends hadn’t completed their P.E. requirements, and found themselves unwilling to take a P.E. class for the entire semester. So, being the compassionate, amazing friend I am, I joined swim again to keep them company. I figured it would be fun to hang out on the pool deck together and talk in the pool between sets and races. And we could always hang out after practices, since they ended relatively early.

In retrospect, I probably developed amnesia when I imagined these things. 

Maybe my plans would have worked if we didn’t pick one of the most inconvenient sports. I quickly remembered that it’s pretty difficult to sit on the wall during sets without being asked why you aren’t swimming (sorry Coach Christian, Coach Mike and Ms. Thomson!). Plus, when other sports canceled practices during those early spring storms, we were in the pool fighting the wind and praying for the clap of thunder or lightning strikes that would cancel practice. For all the non-swimmers wondering, just because we’re already surrounded by water doesn’t mean we don’t get pelted with rain when we lift our heads to breathe.

And let me tell you, there are only so many times you can swim laps while singing snippets of songs you forgot you ever listened to in your head. It gets old pretty quick. 

Not to mention, the exhaustion I experienced after climbing out of the pool definitely hindered my ability to go out and have these carefree times after practice. By the time I managed to shampoo the chlorine out of my hair every day, I was ready to crawl into my bed and stay there. “I can’t, I have swim” became my go-to catchphrase when friends asked me to go out. 

But despite these annoyances, there were a lot of positives scattered throughout the season. Although I complained about it, exercising always improved my mood and alleviated stress (definitely helpful during that one week the UC decisions came out). I also enjoyed leaving class unreasonably early for swim meets just to procrastinate getting into the pool for 20 minutes. 

Additionally, despite my woes about not having the energy to go out with my friends, I was still able to make loads of different memories. For example, I now have a plethora of pictures of my teammates with comically chalky sunscreen faces. I’ve also gotten very good at trimming my hair, a wholly necessary skill when the ends are bleached like a failed balayage. And, of course, the senior day organized by the underclassmen was incredible and adorable, from the costumes to the decorations and all of the effort they put into it. 

Maybe the majority of my second semester wasn’t as I’d imagined it would be. But as cheesy as it sounds, some of the most memorable moments I’ve had have been as a result of the swim season. Now, reflecting on the experiences and especially the friends I’ve made during my participation in sports throughout high school, I can confidently say I wouldn’t change a thing — except maybe a couple of faceplant dives.