stood for one moment with
her back to him, facing the edge of the pool. Her arms were at her sides, her shoulders gently sloped, her head erect.
She looks really comfortable, Jerry thought. Really relaxed.
Then, she quickly positioned herself for the start and pushed off with a real spring.
Wow! She really takes off! thought Jerry. Or maybe it just seems like she does because she's so relaxed before that. I bet
that's where she gets all her energy, from that little pause. After that, the rest of itis ice cream. Maybe that's what she's been doing all along—and I just never paid attention.
He tried it when it came time for him to take his turn. He couldn't let go of all tension completely, but he was a little
looser for a moment before push-off. From then on, he knew that he was doing better. He felt that he had really gotten one
clue that would help him master the backstroke once and for all.
When each lane had gone through two rotations, Coach Fulton blew his whistle.
“Okay, everyone out of the pool,” he said. “Take seats for a second while I set up some trial races. Okay, in lane one I want
—”
He went through two girls races — a fifty-yard and a one hundred — before he came to the boys. Tanya was the clear winner
in her race. Jerry was pleased for her and delighted that he had found out her “secret weapon.”
“Now, we'll try a hundred-yard boys backstroke.”
He's not even starting with the sprint, Jerry realized. He must have that one all decided.
“Let's have Lars Morrison in lane one, Jerry Grayson in lane two, Tony Kendrix in lane three, Wayne Cabot in lane four, Paul
Prescott in lane five, andSammy Wu in lane six. Move it, we don't have all day.”
There was no time to get psyched up for the race. Jerry guessed that the coach was using this trial race to decide who would
swim this event on Saturday. After all the work he'd put into it, he wanted to make the cut. Didn't he deserve some recognition
for all that practice?
“Is everyone ready?”
They stood in the shallow end of the pool, all facing away from the water. “On your mark!”
That's when Jerry usually tensed up. Instead, he tried Tanya's method. He dangled his wrists in the cool water and shook off
some of his nervousness. He tried to let all the pressure drain out through his fingertips, to let all the tension simply
disappear.
“Get set!”
Now it was time to position himself — and he did.
“Go!”
For the first time since he started this whole swimming thing, Jerry felt comfortable doing the backstroke. He ran quickly
through his list of do's and don'ts. Everything checked off.
It was amazing. He used to feel a little like anocean liner forging its way across the raging sea. Now, he felt more like a sleek sailboat skimming along the top of the waves
with the current. His arms were great, flexible, outstretched paddles. His legs were synchronized flippers, propelling him
along.
There was no problem about staying in his own lane now. Everything felt right as he approached the first turn. His outstretched
fingers touched the side of the pool and he went into action. Down went his head, and over went his body in a somersault,
and then came the twist back into position. A quick push-off with his feet and off he went, back down his lane.
Jerry knew from the splashing around him that he was in a race, but he paid no attention to who was on either side. And, without
an announcer over the loudspeaker, there was no outside information. This was fine with him. He could concentrate on his own
performance.
After the third turn, the splashing got more intense as the six swimmers poured it on. This was the final lap. It was the
last chance to forge ahead and make a run for it.
Jerry drew on all his resources. His body had been well trained by now to perform the backstroke. Butmore than that, he was in excellent condition from practicing regularly for the last few months — and from
her back to him, facing the edge of the pool. Her arms were at her sides, her shoulders gently sloped, her head erect.
She looks really comfortable, Jerry thought. Really relaxed.
Then, she quickly positioned herself for the start and pushed off with a real spring.
Wow! She really takes off! thought Jerry. Or maybe it just seems like she does because she's so relaxed before that. I bet
that's where she gets all her energy, from that little pause. After that, the rest of itis ice cream. Maybe that's what she's been doing all along—and I just never paid attention.
He tried it when it came time for him to take his turn. He couldn't let go of all tension completely, but he was a little
looser for a moment before push-off. From then on, he knew that he was doing better. He felt that he had really gotten one
clue that would help him master the backstroke once and for all.
When each lane had gone through two rotations, Coach Fulton blew his whistle.
“Okay, everyone out of the pool,” he said. “Take seats for a second while I set up some trial races. Okay, in lane one I want
—”
He went through two girls races — a fifty-yard and a one hundred — before he came to the boys. Tanya was the clear winner
in her race. Jerry was pleased for her and delighted that he had found out her “secret weapon.”
“Now, we'll try a hundred-yard boys backstroke.”
He's not even starting with the sprint, Jerry realized. He must have that one all decided.
“Let's have Lars Morrison in lane one, Jerry Grayson in lane two, Tony Kendrix in lane three, Wayne Cabot in lane four, Paul
Prescott in lane five, andSammy Wu in lane six. Move it, we don't have all day.”
There was no time to get psyched up for the race. Jerry guessed that the coach was using this trial race to decide who would
swim this event on Saturday. After all the work he'd put into it, he wanted to make the cut. Didn't he deserve some recognition
for all that practice?
“Is everyone ready?”
They stood in the shallow end of the pool, all facing away from the water. “On your mark!”
That's when Jerry usually tensed up. Instead, he tried Tanya's method. He dangled his wrists in the cool water and shook off
some of his nervousness. He tried to let all the pressure drain out through his fingertips, to let all the tension simply
disappear.
“Get set!”
Now it was time to position himself — and he did.
“Go!”
For the first time since he started this whole swimming thing, Jerry felt comfortable doing the backstroke. He ran quickly
through his list of do's and don'ts. Everything checked off.
It was amazing. He used to feel a little like anocean liner forging its way across the raging sea. Now, he felt more like a sleek sailboat skimming along the top of the waves
with the current. His arms were great, flexible, outstretched paddles. His legs were synchronized flippers, propelling him
along.
There was no problem about staying in his own lane now. Everything felt right as he approached the first turn. His outstretched
fingers touched the side of the pool and he went into action. Down went his head, and over went his body in a somersault,
and then came the twist back into position. A quick push-off with his feet and off he went, back down his lane.
Jerry knew from the splashing around him that he was in a race, but he paid no attention to who was on either side. And, without
an announcer over the loudspeaker, there was no outside information. This was fine with him. He could concentrate on his own
performance.
After the third turn, the splashing got more intense as the six swimmers poured it on. This was the final lap. It was the
last chance to forge ahead and make a run for it.
Jerry drew on all his resources. His body had been well trained by now to perform the backstroke. Butmore than that, he was in excellent condition from practicing regularly for the last few months — and from
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