When we were in high school, football was king. Football tryouts for freshmen began in the middle of August when average temperatures hovered around 100°. I went out for football for one day. I ran around the track four times, threw up and decided there had to be a better way.
In the spring I tried out for the swim team. As I remember it everyone who tried out made the team, if you didn’t drown. We were a ragtag group of farm boys. Some of us swam very well, most of us managed to make our turns without hurting ourselves. As one of the spring sports we knew we swimmers had to distinguish ourselves or we would get lumped in with tennis and golf and track. So we gave ourselves a name (The Phrog Pack), published a regular newspaper and created a team flag that was flown at all of our meets. We were coached by a unique individual named Al Robelot. He was a Cajun who grew up in Louisiana and fostered rumors about himself as a wrestler of alligators. During football season he was a coach for the defensive line. He brought intense dedication and enthusiasm to the swim coach assignment. At one point in our junior year he had us reporting twice a day for practice, before school at 6:30 AM and after school as well. That year I almost developed gills.
Thanks to Coach Robelot and our band of brothers we won the league that year. (I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our one girl on the team. Shakeh put up with all our teasing and swam for the team as well as for her own glory.) The Phrog Pack was a formative phase in my development. Never have so few worked so hard for so little glory and enjoyed it so much.
Your moment of glory is now. Having those memories and reflections of a time when you were a champion. That's why I am a Girl Scout employee and volunteer. So that the girls who beat the odds and overcome any challenge in these very different times, will remember later that they were given a short moment of glory. Robelot, Casper, Edwards, Pepper, Black and yes, Schoneman:-)Thanks.
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