Musings of a Synchro Mom

Musings of a Synchro Mom

by Pam Parron-Saletri

Starting synchro for the first time or simply starting up again for a new season is an adventure. Parents and daughters alike wonder what this year will bring: Who will be on their team? What music will they have? What will their suits look like? Will their figures improve???

New to synchro? Then maybe you’re just wondering what to expect. When my daughter first tried synchro, I never realized how much there was to this incredible sport. Every year brings a greater admiration of what our girls do in the water. First and foremost, this is a sport that demands that our daughters become well-rounded athletes with strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, poise, and speed. It is like aquatic gymnastics practiced individually (figures) and then those movements plus so much more become an aquatic dance put to music complete with team suits/costumes & make-up & hair that is perfectly synchronized as a group performance. Sounds beautiful, right? It is amazing! Make no mistake though, this is a competitive sport.

To be competitive, our girls need to be at every practice. They need to be prepared with the right stuff: swimsuit, goggles, noseclip, cap, and towel. They need to be prepared physically: SUNSCREEN (pre-applied), lots of drinking water (water at pool is warm, yuck!), fueled (eat HEALTHY snacks ½ hour before practice), and flexible. Yes, the girls do stretch at the pool, but the more they stretch at home, the more prepared they will be.

The first month of practice will be about a lot of physical conditioning and the correct basic body positions and moves (hybrids). This gives the girls the foundation to build a successful synchro season. It also allows the coaches the time to assess which girls will be grouped together into teams. A team is any group of 4-8 swimmers usually assembled based on age group and skill level. This team will become known by the title/theme of their music, and eventually their own team suits that match the mood of their music for competition. Swimmers need to develop individually and as a group,as they prepare for competitions.

Although there won’t be a complete (figures and routine) competition until 2012, this is what our girls work for and will explain some of the required “gear” purchased at registration. When the girls arrive at a competition, fundraiser, or charity event as a team, they wear their AZD Team Uniform (black polo shirt and green shorts), or their team sweats, (jacket and pants suit). This identifies them as Desert Dolphins. Upon entering the water at a competition to “warm-up,” the same idea applies. Team (Desert Dolphin) suits & caps help our coaches (and us!) identify our swimmers from the other 50 girls in the water warming-up. After warm-ups have finished, the girls quickly change into the suit they will need.

Figure Competition: This is an individual competition that will also factor into the team’s (8 girls) final scores. At a figure competition, the girls will move to four different groups, called panels, of judges to perform a different figure. (A specified sequence of body positions and movements judged on control and design.) Each girl is randomly assigned a number so that all Teams present will be mixed up. The girls must wear a plain black suit and a plain white cap. This black suit will be referred to as the “figure suit” and the white cap as the “figure” cap.

Finally my fellow parents or other responsible adults new to swimming, there is one thing I have to warn you about & you will either accept it or learn to accept this. (I was a slow learner.) I always bought the swim suits or the AZD clothes considering the “growth factor.” Here is the fact about swimsuits for competition & long practices where suits are used for more than recreational wear….

Ready?...

These suits must be tight…at first, perhaps, uncomfortably tight.

Being a modest mother on a budget, this did not appeal to me. So my daughter’s first year, I made purchases based on my way of thinking…

Another synchro mom is a witness to the fact that I sat at our sons’ soccer game sewing and desperately trying to salvage a month old Speedo suit that had become stretched out and deformed.

It didn’t work…

Trust the coaches and Carri, our wonderful seamstress, the suits need to be tight.

Welcome to synchro! Welcome to the Desert Dolphins! Or simply welcome back! There are a lot of us, but stretch out a hand and introduce yourself. Ask questions…you are not alone in this adventure of synchro 2011-12. Good luck, girls! (Good luck, parents!)