GO BRUINS!

Back in my collegiate swimming days, Beat SC week was always my favorite week of the season. There is something about that cross-town college rivalry that just lights a fire in your belly! Beat SC week was always marked by certain traditions, one of which was having current UCLA athletic coaches and/or former swimming alumni share their favorite Beat SC memories with the team (whether in person or via email). Some memories were inspiring and got you pumped up to compete, others were just down right funny, some sent chills of Bruin Pride up your spine, but no matter how different each memory was, all of them always always made you want to BEAT SC!

Below is the email that I wrote to the team the year after I graduated. I added a little commentary in blue, but otherwise, this is what I wrote to them:

* Oh yes and to any Trojans/ Trojan Fans who happen to read this post, sorry but don't take it personally. You know you'd say the same thing about us :) *

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For those who know me, they can attest to the fact that i would hardly say I hate anyone or anything. I always feel hate is such a relative (and strong) term. But let me tell you, I HATE THOSE TROJANS! They are obnoxious, un-classy and while they think they are all that, they really aren't!!!!!! (Case in point, all the NCAA violations that their athletic department has had to deal with! SHADY! Only USC I tell you.)

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I would like to say that while I've had my share of personal victories swimming against the trojans, I think that at the end of the day what has really stuck with me is the thrill of racing against those girls and experiencing the rare magic of our team coming together, feeding off of each other's energy, owning the deck and enjoying the exhilaration that comes with it!

That being said, my favorite beat $C memory was during my junior year, when we KILLED them at their home pool (which always makes the victory that much sweeter). The meet was one of those hotly contested ones where the lead changed hands several times over the course of the day. I still remember every event in which a teammate stepped up and fought their hardest to put their hand on the wall before the trojan in the next lane. (I mean one teammate who swam the mile and did not ever 6 beat kick (kick continuously) or even kick at all for that matter threw in her legs the last 50 of the 1650 yard race just to beat that trojan by .14 of a second! Or how about the 50 free where UCLA went 1-2-3 shutting out the trojans! Or how about the first relay where we just wanted it more and got to the wall .1 of a second earlier... yeah it was that close and yes I just realized that this means bubbkis to most and I'm getting a little over excited here, but you get the point, it was GREAT)

That day, the W (the win) came down to the last relay where the winner took it all! It was such a nail-bitter and I recall cheering so hard for that relay that I literally lost my voice.I mean we've all been there and done the whole screaming at the top of your lungs, jumping up and down, waving your hands around like a deranged woman, all in the name of cheering your teammates on. Needless to say, it was all worth it when we showed those trojans what we're all about :)

While beating the trojans was definitely icing on top of the cake (a very delicious one might I add), what made the meet so memorable to me was how every single Bruin exemplified competitive greatness, stepping up and being at their best when their best was needed. We raced our hearts out and left it all in the pool. Thinking about how much heart, soul and BRUIN PRIDE we had just gives me the chills and that right there epitomizes what the $C dual meet means to me.

The thing that non-swimmers have to understand about dual meets is that both teams are usually still in the middle of the season and a lot of times are unshaven, untapered and just beat down from normal practices. In other words, at the the end of the day, winning meets doesn't always come down to which team has the faster swimmers. Instead the win goes to the team that wants it more, the team that is going to come together, get into that zone and be the better team that day.

So ladies as you head into your $C dual meet on saturday, whether its your first, your last or somewhere in between, treasure it and get caught up in the moment! Swagga on deck! Radiate bruin pride! Be there for your teammates and feed off of each other! But most importantly, enjoy yourself! Lastly, know what an honor it is to represent the winning tradition that is U-C-L-A and BEAT $C!!!

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So to end this blog, I only thought it appropriate to do an 8 clap! Come on now, all your Bruin fans, on your feet and I want "every man, woman and child" to join in.

And... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... U...C...L...A... UCLA fight, fight, fight!

Good luck this weekend ladies! BEAT SC!!!!!

Details:

UCLA vs. USC Dual Meet

Spieker Aquatics

Saturday Feb 13, 2010

12 pm.