“A Place at the Wall” – Celebrating Fun and Friendship in Water

A PLACE AT THE WALL: Continued Life Lessons Learned in Masters Swimming – read the full ten lessons here.

One: Make a place for all folks to get ahead.

Hey, “leader of the pack” (or in this case, the lane), don’t come into the wall and stay in the center. Move over so others can have a place at the wall and rest easily without having to hang on to the lane line. Moral of the story? Make space for others in leadership positions; don’t hog the spotlight. It’s not about you, it’s about us.

Two: Learn people’s names.
Many swimmers don’t bother to ask the names of their fellow lane mates; we just hunker down, get into the “my zone” thinking and tolerate others. Hey, we’re all in this together, so you might as well be on a first-name basis with those huffing and puffing from a “Chad special.” Folks love to be addressed by their name and are apt to be more friendly because you’ve taken the time to do so. You can engage in conversation more easily and problem-solve issues together that may arise.