Determination & Spunk

I see the biggest smile I have EVER seen, plastered on a wet face, blonde hair spiking up, eyelashes dripping with water, eyes emitting such excitement and happiness that I wonder if I’ll ever see anything that will compare with this pure display of joy. The organized chaos happening all around him does not register for Camper Keith. Splash! A football skids in front of this beaming face, and immediately, his hand pushes up from the blue water. Instead of his wrist displaying a bright red badge, it instead reveals a simple blue band, which is the origin of Keith’s jubilance.

It’s Day 2 of camp. Keith has never been a swimmer and tells me, Counselor Dan, that he is scared to take the swim test. But it is clear to me that he sure wants to. I take him and the other campers to the pool. As the other boys take and pass their swim tests, they are “awarded” their hard-earned blue swim bands and promptly begin splashing about, grabbing fun pool toys to play with.

Keith looks downcast. I begin talking to him, telling him that he needs to persevere. “What’s that mean?” Keith asks. I answer, “That means that you continue to try to do something until you can do it. And if you can’t do it the first time, you keep trying and practicing, no matter how hard it seems. You can pass the swim test, Keith. I know you can. You just gotta persevere. Here, I’ll help you practice for it.”

I tell him he needs to be able to kick and paddle. I then demonstrate both to him in the shallow end of the pool. Holding onto the side of the pool, he kicks his legs out. Kick, kick, kick. He then turns and paddles a short distance to me. “You’re doing it, buddy! You got this.”

Keith tells me he needs to practice. I stay nearby while he kicks and paddles for 45 minutes. This kid’s got heart, I think. Finally, Keith tells me he is ready to take the swim test. He goes to one side of the pool, sizes up the path of his swim journey, and plunges into the water, kicking and paddling furiously. He doesn’t stop until he reaches the other side.

“You did it, Keith! You passed the swim test!” I shout to him. “Way to go!”

He is breathing heavily when I reach him, to award his blue banner of determination and spunk. “Are you thirsty? Need some water?” I ask him. “Nah,” he says. “I drank half the water in the pool during my swim test.”

Off he paddles, grinning ear-to-ear. I watch as another camper swims up to Keith. He tells Keith he has been trying to learn to do a somersault in the water and can’t. Keith tells him, “You just gotta persevere.” “What’s that mean?” asks the other camper.

I smile, because I know Keith will, without fail, tell him the definition.