Here is a story I wrote about a couple of my swimmers for one of my classes. (I got a 97% on it!!)
GILBERT, Ariz., Learning to share with siblings is a very
trying time in young children’s lives, so it stands to reason that it would be
just as difficult learning how to share the spotlight with a sibling early in
high school. Gilbert brothers Luc and Cole
Jordan would tell you that it is not as hard as you might think.
Luc Jordan, 15, is a sophomore at Campo Verde High School in
Gilbert where he competes on the varsity swim team. He joined the team last year as a freshman
after a conversation with his mother.
“Once Luc entered high school I told him it was mandatory
for him to do a sport and I suggested the swim team,” Brooke Jordan, Luc and
Cole’s mother, said in an email. “So the
summer before starting as a freshman at Campo he did the swim camp and that was
it. He was hooked. Cole followed in his
footsteps upon entering Campo as a freshman.”
Fourteen-year old Cole said that being on the same team as
his older brother has some benefits, “Having Luc be on the swim team definitely
motivates me. He always pushes me to do
better and just being in the same lane with him during practice helps me. I try to keep up with him and even pass him
so I give it my all. I love having him
on the team with me, it totally helps me out.”
Being on the same team does not always put the brothers in
direct competition with each other as they can focus on different events.
“Even though competition is good for the kids, I want them
to be excited and encourage each other to succeed and I feel that comes easier
when they are not competing against each other in the same event,” Brooke said.
Luc focuses his energy on the sprint freestyle and
breaststroke events, while Cole is one of the school’s top distance swimmers.
Even though they focus on different events they do sometimes
end up swimming head to head on occasion, and the sibling rivalry comes into
play for the brothers.
“Whenever we are in the same event I want to be in the same
heat, in the lane right beside him just to make sure he does not creep ahead of
me,” Luc said.
How would Luc react if Cole did creep ahead?
“Well it depends on which race, if it is something like the
500 (yard freestyle)…then it does not affect me too much. On the other hand in something such as the
breaststroke or the 50 (yard) freestyle, I may become addicted to finding a way
to get back on top,” Luc said.
This past season Luc did not have to worry about “getting
back on top” as he was busy setting the school record in the 50-yard freestyle
with a time of 25.43 seconds and qualifying for state championship swim meet in
the 100-yard breaststroke, while Cole came within two seconds of qualifying for
the state meet as a freshman with an impressive time of 5:52.97 in the 500-yard
freestyle.
While they might not be swimming against each other you can
be sure that whoever is in the water is being cheered on from the deck by the
other.
“I definitely cheer for my brother a lot, and I try to watch
him swim every time. I look up to him
and I always yell a little louder when I’m cheering for him,” Cole said.
Even though the brothers have both been in the spotlight
early on in their high school swimming careers jealousy has not become a factor
in their relationship.
“Most of the time we help each other out with a lot of stuff
and if I need help with anything he is the first person I talk to. He is a great brother,” Cole said.
