Memories of a Gator by Cole Miller

I showed up to my first day of swim with a pair of snorkel fins. I spent the majority of practice retrieving them when they fell off, all while trying to figure out what to do. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but then I entered my first meet. Oh. My. Gator. (haha puns!)

For the newer members of the gators, or those who haven’t known me as long, I’m actually an introvert. I know you’re thinking, “aren’t you the guy who dresses up in a onesie and does the Cotton-Eye Joe?” Well, yes, but I wasn’t always like that stylish devil. When I was young, I was the kid who stood in the back and just mouthed along to the cheers, and didn’t participate in spirit days because I always felt like I was going to embarrass myself (irony at its finest). I was a very introverted kid in an extroverted activity. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVED to swim, but I didn’t understand the importance of team spirit.

It took me a while to warm-up to the team (pun absolutely intended), and thankfully I had some great friends to bolster me up. I can remember almost every relay I did with Colin Sunstead, Nick Dupuis, and Sean Jansen--full of energy and intensity. Not to mention all the wicked themes we had for Divisionals and All-Stars. The three of them helped me see how important teamwork and being a part of a team was. I had all my individual swims, but I felt that the relays really helped me put myself out there and get excited to race in meets.

However, most memories of those first five or so years have all blended together in a general recollection of time on the pool deck and traveling to meets. Most of my clearest and best memories are from the past four years when I was a teen coach—watching the Little Gators enjoy swimming (yes, 8&Unders, they are a magical experience), the teen nights, and even some of the more mundane practices. The biggest influence on the swimmer you see today (and why I wear a onesie) is my career as a coach because it forced me to put myself out there and be a leader for the kids in my lanes. I was inspired by the determination and heart in the swimmers to be the coach (or mascot) the team needed. It can even say it has helped me grow, I feel like I can take on almost any swimming (or social) challenge that 7-year old me would have dreaded. I can even now confidently strut around in a gator onesie.

So, from my heart, thank you to my fellow coaches, the Little Gators, Paul, and Laurel for helping craft the person I am today.