Ok! Last year was my first year on a challenging team. There were 2 groups for the older kids, S2 the really fast group, and the group I was in S1 which was a little less challenging. At the end of the season I stopped swimming, which was like April, about 3 0r 4 months ago. I recently found out that there is a summer program, and I really need practice b/c I want to make S2 next season. But I am already so out of shape, I dont even think that I can handle the summer team. I need advice from maybe a coach or someone who can sort of tell me how my coach will respond. I'm afraid to talk to him myself b/c he's an extremely tough guy and Im not the best one on the team so Im afraid he'll kick me off if he sees that Im bad. Please answer me soon b/c I love swimming and dont want to stop, I just dont know when and how to start again and what I can do to be better. ThAnK yOu!

-- NiC (hershy916@optonline.net), July 21, 2002