The Aces

There were about 10 other high schools on the Main Line. That's 10 different pools to visit each season. Each pool was distinct and had its own decorations - Conestoga hung up all the competing schools' flags, Ridley had a below 0 pool with wide ledges, and our pool had no diving blocks. The pools never changed, and from year to year, I'd arrive at each pool, counting on it to never change. And somehow the teams never changed either. Kids would graduate and others would replace them on the team. But really, each high school would stay at its same spot in rankings.

We practiced really hard. Just as hard as the other teams. But we sucked - and our school stayed at the bottom each year. It was strange. I didn't understand or realise why then. But I see now that you can work really hard and even convince yourself that you're great - but you lose.

Toward the end of my senior year, our pool got new diving blocks. Suddenly, our pool had changed.