Recruit Trip #1: University of North Texas

On Friday morning I left Austin to fly up north to UNT for my first recruiting trip. Not gonna lie, I was super excited the night before and hardly slept a wink. I had no idea what the trip would be like, and how it would hold up to the expectations that I had held in my mind. It turned out to be a solid weekend!

I went to swim practice that morning just to swim for about an hour. From there, my dad took me to the airport for the rather quick flight to Denton, Texas. No issues there.

I was waiting outside of the airport for Coach Michele to come pick me up. I was so nervous! I’ve had so much change in my swimming career in regards to teams, coaches, and friends. This is yet another one, with the drastic difference of the ability to get to know each team and school before I select which one I’ll spend the next four years of my life at. As well as each team is checking me out while I’m checking them out, trying to see if they would want me on their team as well. Sort of a different ball game.

Coach Michele drove up in a big, old, clanky, white van with the Mean Green UNT emblem on its doors. She hopped out with as much spunk as the energizer bunny himself, and greeted me warmly. I entered the van to meet two of the five recruits (one was a diver). Again, I usually don’t use names in my blog just out of respect for privacy!

Coach Michele took on the role of a pro tour guide for the day and showed us all around. We saw the outdoor LC pool they train in when it’s warm enough outside. No, it wasn’t like a UCLA pool, but hey, I’m not looking for fancy. :)

We walked around the campus for a bit. I began to realize that this school was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It has about 36,000 students, which comes into realization when you see the multitudinous buildings and hear of classes ranging from 20-750 students. My mind was sort of blown when I heard they went up that high! However, there are teacher assistants assigned to the larger classes, so it’s really nothing terrible.

Some of the buildings were older, and some were brand-spankin’ new. They had literally just finished constructing an exquisite building for business studies in August. But still, some of the buildings didn’t even match up to my community college. Honestly, while ornate buildings are nice, they’re not even on my list of things I’m looking for in a college.

I got to sit in on an American Literature class with one of the swimmers. I actually enjoyed it! The professor was sarcastically humorous, and the literature we dug into was intriguing.

UNT definitely has an old college town feel to it, especially downtown. Outside of downtown, it’s just kind of old stuff. But the heart of Denton is one adorable little place! Bistros, coffee shops, and one-of-a-kind diners are all about with a charming atmosphere that will take you back in time.

After class, we went to lunch at a little Italian place called Fera’s. It was AMAZING. The bread melted in mouth…sooo good. All of the other recruits arrived, and we dined with about six or seven of the UNT swimmers.

After stuffing our faces like it was manna sent from heaven, Coach Michele continued her giving us the tour of the school. A junior on the team tagged along and showed us a bunch as well.

We walked around the campus, it was rather large! Another thing I liked about the campus was the chill feel to it. Nobody was really dressed up, and it was super casual. On the second day I wore what I wear just about every day, Nike shorts and a tank top. I fit right in. :)

In the midst of checking out the campus, we popped into the pool to see the team dressed in hysterical attire for their intrasquad meet. The “green team” was dressed as vegetables….so funny!! The “white team” was dressed as mimes. The veggies were hilarious, and what made it more funny was that the mimes couldn’t talk. Ha.

Us recruits met with the sweet-hearted academic adviser. She gave us the down lo on expectations of student-athletes, opportunities, and what is provided for us being student-athletes.

We watched the team compete against each other in the intrasquad meet. It was stacked so that it would be close, and it was fun to watch! The scoreboard was out, so I clocked it all with my cell phone. :D There was definitely some fast swimming going on!

One of the biggest things I learned from this recruiting trip was that they will provide you with the normal meals. That’s like, three. I usually have like six a day. Sooo, yea I was kind of hungry a lot, and whenever they put food in front of my face it would be demolished within five minutes. So, note to self: BRING SNACKS!

They brought in Stub Hub sandwiches, and yes, I ate the entire thing. It was like 12 or 14 inches, and oh so delicious.

I do feel the team made us feel welcome. I have yet to be on another trip, so I will definitely compare this one to the others. I don’t know how much interaction with recruits is normal or not. There was a solid group of girls that made sure to hang out with us and get to know us, but I hardly met the other half of the team.

One of my favorite parts was after their meet, they had “Team Time”. They all sat in the big office room, and went around acknowledging each other. Like, “So and so had a great 200 free today.” Or ,”So and so has really pushed me in practice this week.” And the list goes on and on. I thought that was really neat, and great team bonding!

I went with my host to her apartment following all that jazz. It was a super nice place. She was really sweet and even gave up her bed for me to sleep on the second night (the first night her roommate let me sleep in her room).

That night we watched the women’s soccer game for a bit, and then headed over to the volleyball court to watch the match between them and FIU. FIU won by a bit, but it was a very intense game!

A trip to Walmart for some sugary snacks was in need. We checked out there and wrapped the night up with about half the team over at my hosts’ apartment for snacks and a movie. I enjoyed watching the team interact with each other. They are definitely a tight-nit batch, and it was pretty neat to see that.

Yup, that was day one. Fun, but long. Very long.

Saturday we had breakfast at Old West Cafe. SO GOOD. All these delicious food joints are def making me want to come back for more. :)

I really got to know the girls a lot better that day. I peppered a few with questions about how they like the program, and the school as a whole. They all LOVED Coach Joe and what he has to offer. And the school got an overall good review.

The team had another meet, but this was an alumni meet. Some of the alumni come back and compete, but it’s really just for fun! They all swim the 50′s of each stroke plus a 100 IM. The alumni have no rules…so it was pretty funny watching them cheat it up.

The recruits and I then had a meeting with Coach Joe. He gave us a lay out of the team, his training phases, expectations, and goals. What I really like about UNT is they are a strong, up and coming team to look out for. They have big goals in mind, and are getting the right swimmers on board to accomplish them. I think that it would be a pretty sweet thing to be a part of what they are doing.

The school is doing fantastically financially. Just the athletic budget has tripled over the past 10 years…that’s a big deal.

After the meeting we enjoyed lunch from the Pita Pit, and then us recruits got in the water for a workout.

Now, if you know me, you know that I am not a fan of football. But we went to the game vs. Indiana…and it was AWESOME!! We sat in the end zone and all three touchdowns were made ten feet in front of us! It was so cool! When I go to college, you can bet I’ll get into those games!

Oh and have I mentioned the marching band was spectacular? Well, they were.

I can’t remember the name of the Mexican restaurant we went to for dinner, but it should have been named, “Come tan mucho que puedas, porque nuestros comida es deliciosa.” For the non-spanish readers, that means (in my knowledge of spanish ;P), “Eat as much as you can, because our food is delicous.”SAAAAHHHH gooodd, and my stomach was sooooo full.

We headed back to the dorms and played apples to apples. Another thing I appreciated was that they didn’t take us out to parties. I know that happens on about 75% of trips, and was so grateful none of that crap went on.

I also learned that many of the swimmers go to church, and there are a number of options. So good to know that there will be places to check out!

All in all, a great trip. I would rate it an 8.999999999, but that is subject to change since I don’t have another trip to compare it to as of yet. My next trip will be to the University of Arkansas October 7th-9th. Really pumped for that one!

Bek Out.

Take The Time

Do you just ever have those days or weeks when it seems like the world is crashing in and everything is just going wrong? And it doesn’t even have to be in your life particularly, but in the people’s lives around you? Just today one of my friend’s dogs died, and she was crying in class trying to take a Spanish test; the other day another friend’s grandma died, and she is mourning bitterly; then I found out a few hours ago that a sophomore in high school committed suicide yesterday, and my friends are trying to cope with this awful thing. And on top of all that – a sweet, 14-year-old girl I know is dealing with about every disease on the planet, and is just trying to make it through each day.

Man, I was just thinking this morning how wonderful life is, and how if you just take a look around, you’ll see how blessed you are. And believe me, we are blessed beyond what we can fathom, but it sure is hard to remember that when all this crap is going on.

But there is something to be brought from all these tragedies. Surely God keeps his promise that He makes good come out of every situation, right? Since my dog, Buddy, died a few weeks ago, I’ve learned that anything, and I mean anything, precious to you can be taken away in an instant…you just don’t know how long you’ll have the ones that you love around. This life isn’t ever going to flow exactly the way we expect it to.

Since then I’ve made sure to give some extra love to my other two dogs. And it’s gotten me thinking about when I’m going to leave for college. I’m going to have to leave behind all these people that I love so much – particularly my swim family. It’s like a dagger in my heart knowing that my time is limited with them, but it makes me want to make each day count. I don’t want to let a day slip by without letting my girls know that I love them and I’m here for them. I want to make every day special, make it count.

That means I’ve got to take the time from what I want to do sometimes, and just stop and listen. All these people around me have got something going on, and they just need an ear to talk to. I might not always know what to say, but you can bet I’ll be there for you.

In less than four months, I’m going to be in a new state, with a new swim team, new school, and new friends. And just like life now, there will be both joys and trials along the way. I’m just going to be sure that I take the time to make every day, and every moment count, even in the midst of a falling, beautiful world.

Bek Out.

A Girl’s Self Image

I’ve always wanted to write a book on this topic, but a quick blog will have to do for now.

I’ve never met a girl or woman who is not insecure about something. Even women I look up to have something they don’t like or wish they could change about themselves. And I know that just about every girl envies the other “pretty” girls…when in reality the girl that envies is stunning through and through while the “pretty” girl hasn’t a clue as to how beautiful she is either.

And yes, I am a culprit to this delusion of not being beautiful as well.

I do compare myself to other people. I compare my body, my weight, my hair, my swimming times and cuts, my car, my clothes, and even my personality. And yes, I do hate to admit that. But I can honestly say I’ve never met a person who has not compared any part of their life to another’s. But that still doesn’t make it right.

One of my friends showed me this sermon on youtube called “The Sin of Comparison”. The main point I got from it was that if you’re sitting and complaining to God about all this stuff that He gave to your neighbor, you’re missing out on what He’s given you and not appreciating it. While I’m busy being jealous of a friend’s outfit, I forget how I’m blessed with a full closet and dresser overflowing with clothes while kids around the world don’t even have a shirt to wear. And as  I stare enviously at the 2012 porsche that whizzes by me, I forget that I’m in the top 8% of the world’s population because I own a car. And as I roll my eyes in disgust of my acne or raccoon eyes, I forget of how there are soldiers out there who’s faces have been distorted by a bullet.

Writing that down does kind of make me feel like a terrible person. Having those thoughts are sinful, and I have to repent daily for them.

However, I don’t think those thoughts all of the time. In fact, since watching that sermon, they have occurred much less frequently.  Now, more often than not, I’ll look in the mirror and instead of seeing a little bit of acne, I’ll see a face that God designed just for me and my personality. I see hazel eyes that He selected just for me, because He didn’t think blue or green would work. And I see curly, crazy, messy, brown hair that He picked out for me. But really, it’s not what I see when I look in the mirror….it’s what I hear. And when I look at what He has made, I hear Him whisper, “You’re beautiful, and I made you that way.” How can I not appreciate what He’s blessed me with?

But really, don’t get me wrong. I do have those moments of being grateful for how He made me…but I can’t lie about those mornings when I wake up and swear I’m related to Chewbacca.

The issue for me is…I don’t recall ever hearing genuine, positive talk of a girl about herself. Now,  I don’t think it’s necessary to be walking around shouting in people’s faces how pretty we are…that would be a bit rude and self-indignant. It’s more of the fact that you rarely come across a girl who believes that God made her so gorgeous and genuine. And you don’t have to hear it from their lips. You see it by the way they carry themselves, the way they treat others, and the way they talk about themselves.

Yes, us girls have our rants about how our butts are too big or too flat. And we make fun of our jiggly legs or arms, or whatever. But you can tell who really believes the sardonic comments are true. And sometimes, when I see a girl so insecure about herself, it makes my want to smack her upside the head and yell, “DON’T YOU KNOW YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL? GOD MADE YOU THIS WAY!” But even smacking and shouting can’t penetrate the wall some girls put in front of themselves. Some are truly blind to the beauty God has given them. And it breaks my heart and ignites a fire in my gut.

And my friends…the physical image is only the outer shell of the story. This is one of my favorite verses:

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. ⁴ You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. ⁵ This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. 1 Peter 3:3-5

It’s saying here that beauty is not what you see, it’s who you are. And until you believe that you are beautiful, you probably won’t see it in the mirror. At least that’s the case I’ve come to know. At age 19, Lindsey Lohan was named by Teen People, “The Most Beautiful Woman”. And just one year later she began rolling in a downhill spiral abusing drug substances, alcohol, and partying excessively. Just one example of outer beauty.

Then I think about the most beautiful person I know. She isn’t famous, and isn’t on Teen People’s “Most Beautiful Women” list. But every time I see her or think about her, my breath is taken away by her inner beauty. Her name is Julie Apra. Julie has dark brown eyes, short brown hair, and a slim figure – and she is pretty, but that’s not what makes her beautiful. She is a mother of two, sweet children; and a wife to an adoring husband…but that’s not what makes her beautiful either.

Generally, Julie cares for others more than is necessary. When I was in middle school and in my freshman and sophomore years of high school, she would take me out for lunch to pour wisdom and truth into me that I didn’t know of. I don’t know why she picked me to mentor, but it changed my life. And when I’m in moments of crisis, she’s always a phone call away. Yet it’s not just me that she goes the extra mile for. She will also take the time to stop and listen to someone, even if she doesn’t know them. I think I forget the power in doing that simple action.

But what truly makes Julie beautiful, is her humbleness. Rarely will you hear her boast about anything except Jesus Christ. Even if she or her family does or accomplishes something outstanding, you wouldn’t hear of it. You would hear of  how great and merciful God is, and how He worked it out for them. She walks with a quiet confidence in her Savior, and a sweet humility in God’s grace.

I can’t think of anyone more beautiful.

Yea, one day I’ll probably write a book on this topic. But to any girls that are reading this, whether you are twelve or forty-five, take a look in the mirror. When you were in your mother’s womb, God looked down from heaven and chose the exact attributes that He wanted you to have. The God of the universe took the time to give you the eyes, hair, nose, body, butt, arms, and personality that He knew was perfect for you. It’s my prayer that you’ll take a second away from criticizing what you have, and take a moment to realize what you have…and say thanks.

Bek Out.