Now the coach has to figure, do I go with Jane, based on past performance, or Rikki, because she’s on a roll?
Someone’s feelings are going to be hurt. Conflicts like this start in the 8 and under age group and continue all the way up to Sports Illustrated coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team. We tend to believe in the doctrine of coach infallibility in these psychodramas: Somebody must have the last word, and it’s the coach. Apart for the soap opera aspects, the kids tend to like relays. It’s the only thing they do as a team, and we very often see better times in relay legs than swimmers can manage on their own. The Relay Carnival, which kicks of the season, is a terrific way for new a swimmer to get into competition without getting their feeling hurt for an individually poor performance.
