Today was my second day at WPIALs and i had a blast again. With my best friend by my side we prepped ourselves for three solid hours of swimming. Mr. Gannon treated us to lunch before we got to the meet and I can honestly say that I love the Gannons. They're great people who have always treated me well. I feel so bad when someone pays for me, but they explained that after three meals with them you become family. I'll take it. Another great family.
The girls did great again. They came in 1st place overall by 92 points. I have become a huge fan of swimming. I think that wherever I go to college I might end up watching swim meets...yeah, you read that right. I'll be going to watch swim meets at college. Amanda did great in the backstroke, capturing the bronze medal. I'm so happy for her, she really and truly deserves it. Ashley won the 100 free and also helped the team win the 400 free relay. Along with Kara, Casey, and Emily of course.
This person deserves their own paragraph. My boy Goga. Anthony is one of the most passionate athletes i have compete at any sport. He loves to swim and he puts his heart and soul into the team. Today all that hard work paid off for him when he set West A's 100 meter breaststroke record. I'm so happy for you Anth. Take it all in buddy because you deserve it more than anyone I know. I hope you makes it to states with the time you got, but if not then Goga you can rest assured knowing you went out on top. A hero in my books both in and out of the pool.
After the meet we went down to see the girls. Jared and I gave Amanda and Ashley flowers(Mrs. Gannon bought them, but we delivered for her.) We went out to Buffalo Wild Wings with the team and parents.
On the way home from dinner I got a weird feeling and it's a feeling I still feel right now. It's about the end. I'll more than likely never get to see another high school swim meet. Soon enough the swimmers' seasons will be over. if any of you guys read this, trust me it isn't as glamorous as it might sound. Having both soccer and football end prematurely this year killed me. It's finally sinking in that I'll never line up in the middle of the field and sing the national anthem next to my best friends before playing a soccer game. That hurts. It hurts bad. Looking back soccer is definitely my favorite sport and I'm truly going to miss it. I don't miss football as much, but I miss the competition. The ache to be better. The thrill of kicking off in front of my home town.
The thing about you girls though is that you didn't underachieve. Not even in the slightest bit. Winning WPIALs is no small task and winning it as handily as you did shows even more about the talent on the team. I know your parents are proud of you, as is the school, the community, and your biggest fan.
Underachievement makes me think of soccer. This past season was our chance. We had probably the most skilled lineup in West Allegheny history. We were so much better than where we finished. Truly the team that could've been. Sure the refs blowing several calls in our last game against Ringgold, but it should have never been a close game. Looking back I wonder how much more deadly Ty would have been if he never hurt his ankle. And if Mr. Amos would have never switched our formation for that game. There are a lot of questions I'd like to go back in time to have answered, but in reality that isn't going to happen. We had our chance and the time has passed. Life goes on I guess...
While things didn't go the way I wanted I don't regret anything about this past season. I know I poured my heart into that team and because I did I got so much out. Soccer gave me a couple younger brothers of sort. Josh Kolarac, Spencer Wolfe, and Zach Graziani. I love those three more than any underclassmen besides my sister. I kinda took Josh under my wing after his freshman year when I saw he was a tenacious little bastard. I wanted Josh to look up to me the way I looked up to his older brother Nick. Wolfey was always super annoying and fun to mess with, but over the past two years I've come to enjoy him. I love the kid to death. We have a ton of inside jokes and he makes me laugh anytime I look at him(probably the damn smirk he is always wearing.) As for Zach, well obviously he is Ty's little brother so I see the most of him. He's just like me and just like Ty in so many ways. He says the most stupid, irrelevant stuff ever and he is just a total goof. The last time I was over the Graziani's iwas laying on the couch when he got home. he proceeded to jump over the couch and give me and awkward hug and then gave Ty and Nacho a kiss on the cheek. Kid's a strange one but I love him to death.
All this thought of the end brings up the idea of high school ending which is a sad sad thought. There's so much I'm going to miss. Just the little things like being able to stroll in late to geometry every first period, or being able to go to gym and just go totally nuts, or just walking by and waving to my friends. I'll miss it all. A lot of people say they can't wait to get out and get away from all the immature people. I embrace the immaturity. It's what high school is based on. Hormonal teenagers being stupid. College is such a different demon. You're on your own. That's what I'm most scared of. Jared's going to Pitt with Dave. Ashley has a whole team to welcome her. Ethan, Amanda, and I will all be in the same boat. Unless Ethan gets into Pitt that is. I'm scared of it now because I don't know what I'm going to do without my best friends there. I've become so close to them that the thought of separating is sickening. But as they say, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."
Last thought for tonight is about a new friend I have made. Mr. Jeff Niznik. Mr. Niznik would win the award for "child at heart" if the swim parents had superlatives. Yesterday at the meet he tapped me on the shoulder and said, "T Forse, you ever see that show?" I thought to myself, "Did he really just call me T Forse?' When I realized he had I was thrilled. I had myself a little laugh and started talking to him. I also overheard him talking about a picture he took on his iPhone...today I was lucky enough to see the picture. It was none other than Mr. Niznik with his shirt pulled up over his head reenacting a scene from Beavis and Butthead. "The Great Cornholio."
Mr. Niznik cracks me up. between him and Mrs. Niznik, the avid statistician, the swim team has some real characters for parents.
Last thing I'll say I swear. The Gannons and the Nizniks both have such loving marriages. They both seem so happy with each other and it makes me happy to see. The four of them are great people who deserve to be happy and seem to really make each other happy. I'm not used to that with my parents. They love each other, that much I know, but they don't show it at all. It's weird I guess. Maybe something to discuss another night.
NP: Grand Theft Autumn/ Where Is Your Boy- Fall Out Boy
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