A Letter from Coach Becky

Swimmers & Parents,

It is with much sadness that I have to tell everyone I will not be coaching the girl’s swim team next year. This has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me to come to, but one that I am confident in and at peace with.

Coaching for me has always been one of my greatest passions and joys. To be able to take my experience of swimming in high school and college, and be on the “other side” of the gutter has been exciting yet challenging. My two years at GR Christian High has been an amazing experience. Everything from the athletic staff at the High school, supportive parents helping when needed, great coaching assistants, and energetic swimmers, have all contributed to a great two years.

The hardest part of saying goodbye, however, is not the parents, AD’s, or even the free food after meals. The hardest part for me is saying goodbye to “my girls”. I refer to “my girls” so often. Luke and I are not parents yet, but during the swim season I feel like I have 26 teenage girls of my own. I will truly miss their laughter, hard work, smiles, cheering them on from the sides, and watching them accomplish things that they never thought they could!

But, I have reached a point in my life where I need to focus on my own family. And while having 26 teenage girls is sometimes fun, it is probably not realistic. For four years Luke and I have tried to balance the many tasks in our lives of both working full time and coaching full time (and adding a puppy into the mix, whose idea was that?!). We have missed meals and time together, said no to obligations at our church, been absent at family functions, and so forth. We are ready to spend more time together as a family, explore new avenues of church and community involvement, focus on our careers as a teacher and salesmen, and simply enjoy some free time!

As I said, this was NOT an easy decision. I am not exactly sure how I will feel when August roles around and I am not on the pool deck with “my girls”. But, we have prayed over this decision and are trusting that God will continue to provide direction and peace in our lives as wait and see where He leads us next. I love the Bible verse “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT). God is good and faithful. He has been good to me; He has been good to this team. I know that His faithfulness will continue in the coming seasons and years, as coaches and swimmers change.

So THANK YOU! Thank you for your support, friendship, and allowing me to be able to work alongside you all. This is not good bye for good. You will always be “my girls”, and you never know when I may just show up in the stands or on deck to do the roller coaster cheer!

In Him and His time,
Coach Becky Bagnall
bbagnall@grcs.org
616 322 4188