Creativity – At Its Best

By Contributor Emily Lilyestrom

A virtual swim season.  What does “virtual” mean?  It’s something in practice; generated by computer; or hypothetical.  All of these descriptions apply to the Summer 2020 for the Kentlands Kingfish.

The Kingfish are like every other team in the MCSL.  We were devastated when we were told of the MCSL’s decision to cancel the season for summer 2020, but fully understood and supported the League’s decision.  And then it became a question of what do we do for what had always been seven glorious, intense, dramatic, competitive, and emotional weeks. 

What else?  You watch swim videos.  You have dryland (yes, dryland).  You have neighborhood scavenger hunts, chalk driveways, and put on a Zoom Team Talent show.  And these are just a few of the activities that have been keeping the Kentlands Kingfish swimmers busy.

For example, when you are sent on a scavenger hunt and need to find three bodies of water – don’t forget clouds.  Butterflies don’t have to be flying about – they could be on the lawn sign of a 2020 graduate.  And not every road in your neighborhood is a “Street.”  You may even have a Boulevard or two.  

And how about those dry land workouts?  Rumor has it one young Kentlands swimmer sweat right through his Kingfish t-shirt and had to remove it before the work out was over.  But don’t worry – he took himself off of the Zoom video first.  And the favorite of many on the team – our  “Minute to Win It” challenges.  These would keep anyone, no matter what the age, occupied for hours. 

Throw in our community food drive, inspirational rock decorating (for placement around the neighborhood), and writing cards and letters for our tireless healthcare providers and those under their care and you have our Summer 2020 – and that was just for the first two weeks

Yes, it has been a virtual summer.  A summer in practice?  Perhaps.  We are just missing the water.  Generated by computer?  Had you ever heard of Zoom before March 2020.  Hypothetical?  No, I don’t think so.  But one thing we can promise – it will be a summer that will never be forgotten.