Jasmine Boggs (GREEN Crest 1) 
Jasmine Boggs has done a tremendous job in the pool, and anyone who watches her swim can tell she’s very focused. She has been improving her strokes, and been a great team player. The coaches are very happy to see her improving so well, and being a great leader among her teammates. Before all the fame and glory got to her head, we were able to have her answer a few questions for us. Jasmine’s favorite meet this year has been the Reindeer Mini-Meet because it was near Christmas, and it’s a meet where you can receive a cap if you win your heat. Jasmine has a cap she’s very proud of. To prepare for meets like Reindeer, Jasmine is sure to make the most of the practices leading up to the meet, making sure all her strokes are great, and she is prepared to race. This is a great strategy, and that’s how you do it! Practice what you race. So Jasmine, what are your favorite events to swim? “The 100 free, the 200 free, and the 50 butterfly, because they’re challenging.” Glad to hear you are up for the challenge! Embrace it! What do you thing is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? Besides the events of course. “You really have to push through all the pain.” This is true. That kind of work-out pain is temporary though, and it makes you stronger! What do you like most about being a part of Blue Wave? “All of my teammates are always supportive, no matter how I perform.” That is wonderful to hear! It doesn’t matter how your race goes, to have teammates that support you is one of the best parts of swimming! What is something your teammates may not know about you? “I have two guinea pigs.” (Coach Stephen, upon learning this, becomes very excited, because he has a guinea pig too. Coach Stephen must take a few deep breathes, and then continue) That is so cool! Guinea pigs are by far one of the coolest pets to have. So if you could be any animal, what would it be? (I bet I can guess!) “I want to be a guinea pig, because I could relax all day and eat.” That sounds like the life right there. What is that favorite food, that you would eat all the time? “Ice cream sundaes.” Yummy! Well Jasmine, if you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you do? “I would save the money for college.” Very smart to plan ahead. What activities do you like to do outside of swimming? “soccer, and extreme backgammoning.” Say what? We know the game backgammon, but sometime you will have to explain to us what EXTREME backgammon is. That sounds intense. What accomplishments are you most proud of outside of swimming? “Making the 10 and under red/A team when I was 8 for soccer.” That is impressive! Great job! Well, we all know you are a very hard worker. Are there any goals you are working to accomplish this year? “My goal is to break some more records before I turn 9, by practicing hard.” Sounds exciting! We will all be looking forward to hearing about your success. Be sure and keep up the good work Jasmine! Congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month!!! #SOTMJasmine
Michael Coppola (BLUE Crest) 
Michael Coppola is like the MC Hammer of Blue Waves. He lays down awesome beats, and hammers out big sets like a champ. He does not back down from a challenge, and has been pushing himself further and faster each practice. He swims with his goals in mind, knowing that it will take hard work and dedication to achieve them. Some of his goals for the year is to make JO’s in the 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle. He plans on achieving this by coming to practice as much as possible (check), work on his technique (check), and be bitten by a radioactive spider (possible check? Will have to research that). His favorite meet this year has been the January Distance Meet, when he swam the 1000 free, and totally crushed it. He totally just HULK SMASHED that 1000. Some of his favorite events to swim are now the 500 and 1000 free, because he gets plenty of time to think about his swim. As to being a swimmer, he says the most challenging part about the swimmer lifestyle is waking up super-early for swim meets. Good thing he plans ahead for that! One of the reasons Michael likes being on Blue Wave is the challenges, as well as the fun. That’s right, you heard him. Challenges, AND fun! Swimmers are a unique brand of person that thrives when challenged, and they have fun in the process! Besides swimming, Michael enjoys playing with his friends, eating lots of pasta, and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. If he wins the lottery, he will be donating most of the money to charity, and it is rumored that he will be spending the rest on creating a super-hero lair underneath his house. One accomplishment he is particularly proud of, besides swimming the English Channel last week (just kidding! That’s a future accomplishment we’re sure, haha) is getting straight A’s in science and history! Now that’s impressive. An interesting fact about Michael, he has lived in four different states, including Virginia. We suspect that he has had to move around to keep his super-hero identity a secret, but he has not confirmed that yet. And finally, if Michael were an animal, he would be a shark, not only because they are cool, but they also swim. In conclusion, he fights for peace, justice, works hard for his goals, and will one day save the world as a masked crusader (Coach Stephen suggests the name ‘Tiger-Shark.’). Congratulations Michael on being Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMMichael #SOTMTigerShark
Monet Shum (GREEN Crest 2) 
Monet Shum is new to the team this year, but has been making a big impact! She puts in great effort in the pool, often showing off her super-human focus when it comes to technique work. Her focus and work ethic have made her a great example to her lane-mates, as well as her support and encouragement toward them. So since our little water lily, Monet, is new to the team, we should definitely get to know her a little better. So Monet, what has been your favorite swim meet this year? “I don’t really have a favorite swim meet, because I like them all!” Did we mention Monet is a competitor? She thirsts for competition! What are your favorite events to swim? “I like the 200 IM, 100 fly, 50 back, 100 breast, 200 free, and 100 back because I like mid-distance events and backstroke events the most. I like mid-distance because they allow me to focus on technique.” That is a lot of events! As a very good all-around swimmer, I like that you focus on the distance of the race, not so much the stroke itself as how to do your best in an event. That’s a different way of looking at it! So how do you prepare for swim meets? “I pack my bags the night before, and make sure I have everything.” It is important to be prepared! Don’t forget your goggles and suit! What do you believe is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? “Being committed to your team, and showing dedication, such as going to practice every day.” Swimming is a sport that takes a lot of time and effort. To be successful in anything, it takes dedication. What are some things you like about being on Blue Wave? “I like that the coaches are all friendly, and they correct my strokes.” Aw, thank you! Being a coachable athlete is something Coach Mike has been talking about. Thank you for listening! So, now that you’re on the track with dedication and coachability, what are some goals you have set for this season? “One of my goals is to get an A time in backstroke. I think I can achieve this goal by focusing more on the small parts of my backstroke.” Lots of details in swimming. What are some details about you that the team may not know about? “I have 20 first cousins altogether.” Woah! That’s a big family! I bet holidays are fun! What are some of your favorite foods? “Ramen noodles with roast pork belly and scallions in soy sauce broth. Also, I like sashimi.” Well, thank you for making me hungry. That sounds delicious! If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? “I would tell my parents ‘I WON THE LOTTERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’” Haha, I bet they would be very excited! So besides swimming, what activities do you like to do? “I like to read, make stuff, and draw.” Sounds very peaceful. It is good to find some peacefulness outside of the intense world of swimming. Are there any accomplishments you are proud of? “Getting 1st prize for most Accelerated Reading points in the class.” That is amazing! Congratulations! Your dream house must have a big library in it. And finally, if you were an animal, what would you be and why? “I would be a white-tailed deer because they run fast, and can outrun most of their predators. Also, they have a method of warning other dear by flashing their big tail, so most of them probably get to safety.” Sounds like deer are good team-players. No wonder you like them! Well thank you Monet for taking the time to answer a few questions! We’re excited for how well you are doing, and look forward to seeing you accomplish great things this season! Congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month! #SOTMMonet
Trace Wall (BLUE Tide)
Trace Wall is a swimmer who has risen to new heights, both physically, and in swimming. He has been putting in great effort in the pool, and working very hard to become the best he can be. Fun fact, Trace’s 50 freestyle time is ranked 50th in the nation, and his time in the 50 backstroke is 42nd in the nation for 11-12 boys (at the time of writing this post). We look forward to seeing how he does the rest of the season! We were able to ask him a few questions recently, so we could get to know him a bit better. (Coach Stephen puts on his best Rowdy Gaines voice) So Trace, I hear you like swimming. Is that true? Trace nods yes. A man of few words. It’s all about the action! I appreciate that. What has been your favorite swim meet to go to? “Zones, because I was able to meet and hang out with new people.” Fantastic! Zones is a great experience that all young swimmers should shoot for. For those of you reading at home, Zones is the elite meet of PVS. The fastest swimmers from all of PVS come together to form an almost, ‘Allstar’ team to compete in a meet. What are your favorite events to swim Trace? “50 free and 50 back, because I like sprints the most.” Short, sweet, and to the point. In order to prepare for these events at meets, what do you do? “Eat a big dinner the night before, get a lot of sleep, and eat a big breakfast.” You’re making me hungry just thinking about it. We swimmers have to eat don’t we? What would you say is the most challenging part about being a swimmer? Besides having to consume so many calories of course. “Being committed and going to all the practices.” Time is a luxury we must all treasure, and spend wisely. Swimmers put in so many hours in the pool, when it comes time to ‘cash in,’ so to speak, at meets, we want a big return on all that time. Stay committed! And most importantly, have fun with the process. What is something you like about being a part of Blue Wave? “I’ve made a lot of friends.” That’s a good reason to keep going right there! Swimming creates comradery and community. That’s why we believe so much in family! What are some goals you have for the rest of the season? “Set 13 & 14 age group records.” Good goal! How do you plan on achieving that? “By putting my best into practice and perfecting my stroke.” Nothing to it but to do it! Best of luck being that man of action! Besides being a superstar swimmer, what is something we may not know about you? “I have 3 Burmese cats.” My goodness! That sounds purrrrfectly adorable! Don’t worry, the rest of the cat puns will stop right meow. What is your favorite food? “Anything that has pasta in it.” Chocolate pasta? Veggies with pasta? Escargot and pasta? Goose liver and pasta? Well you said anything. Tell you what, swimmers love their pasta. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you do? “Book a vacation.” I can see it now, Trace Wall’s world tour! He visits all the legendary swimming pools in the world, and sprints a 50 freestyle in each of them. Brilliant. What do you do when you’re not swimming? “Hang out with friends.” Do you, possibly, perhaps, play Trivia Crack? Are there any accomplishments you are proud of? “My grades.” Good man, keep studying! Finally, if you were an animal, what would you be? “Eagle. Because I could fly.” Well Trace, keep flying in the pool! We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished this year. Congratulations on being Swimmer of the Month!!! #SOTMTrace
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