Considering that it is international women’s friendship month, I thought it would be important to discuss a key area of friendship- your teammates. They are with you through all the ups and downs of practices, competitions, and so much in between. These are the girls that see you at your best and worst, mostly because you spend almost every waking moment together. You can always count on them to have your back.
Growing up, the girls on my swim team have always been some of my closest friends. We all share a common goal and have the work ethic to achieve it. In the pool, we know how to work hard, but out of the pool we can have fun and genuinely be friends. That friendship makes it easy to cheer for each other during races and support each other outside the pool. It’s hard to not have a sense of camaraderie when you’re all jumping into a freezing cold pool at 6 in the morning for practice.
Teammates also aren’t afraid to push you to be your best and tell it like it is. At the end of the day, everyone wants to win and do their best for the team so it’s not uncommon for your teammates to be encouraging you to be better than your best. We all understand what it feels like to go through an insanely tough practice or disappointing race, and this allows us to support each other in ways that normal friendships can’t.
Coming to college and joining a new team was scary at first, but all the girls on the swim team on campus are so nice and welcoming that I know that they are/will be amazing teammates and friends. From sitting in the caf at dinner to team bonding hikes, these girls have welcomed me and the other freshmen onto the team with open arms, and for that I am and will always be grateful.
We all come from different backgrounds, but the one thing that unites us is our love for swimming and being a part of Susquehanna’s team. We have plenty of other things in common, but swimming is how we all met, and our friendships started as a result. As international women’s friendship month comes to a close, I have reflected on all the amazing friendships I am a part of, both in college and outside of it. I am excited to see how it all turns out.