Hey Everyone,

     For those of you who don’t know me, the names Jordan Extine '09. I am one of the three captains this year for the swim team. I can’t even describe how good it feels to be back on campus with the guys and yes, even starting classes was kind of nice.

     The summer was not bad at all and it certainly got me ready for the year to come. As we all left at the end of last year, I was able to get a coaching position with my home team. They needed an 8 and under coach and I was very much up for the job. It was amazing! The kids were so much fun to get to coach, teach and just goof off with. If you have not lately, I suggest you hang out with a kid, they bring out the best in you. (Even when you get up early and don’t want to get out of bed) They always seemed to have the ability to put a smile on my face even if I was having a bad day.

     Other than coach for the swim team, I also life guarded at the local private pool which has been a very nice and laid back summer job since high school. It was nice to see everyone from home and those who had also gone off to college. It also provided me with a very nice tan. One of the many perks of being a life guard.

     On top of those two jobs, I also helped out with one of my friend’s grandpa. He owns a lot of apartments around Muncie and some of them were left in a very unsavory condition. He asked if I and another friend would help him fix it up for the next tenant and we agreed. It was interesting and actually very fulfilling. Just ripping up carpet, painting the insides, mowing the lawn, cleaning the gutters, cleaning the house so no mold was in there; it was all a very fun, especially since my friend and I had a lot of fun just laughing and helping each other out. It was a great time.

     Besides work and time with friends—which there was definitely a lot of—my family decided to get a new dog, named Callie. Technically my mom decided, but she is a nice addition to the family and we all love her. Her being cute as well does have something to do with it! I also found time to swim and work out, for at least the first part of the summer. I know a lot of the other guys on the Wabash team stayed in the water and kept in shape, or at least tried. It makes this year all the more exciting knowing we, as a team, are coming in to this swim season with fresh hearts and minds, ready to take on the world of DIII swimming with our heads held high.

     So, yeah, coming back to Wabash was awesome. We have a swimmer house this year, with Craig Vetor, Matt Routh, JordOn Blackwell, myself and two other non-swimmers. After getting here early and fixing up the house and helping out with the new freshmen coming into campus (that was mainly Craig Vetor) we had our house warming cook out for the swim team. It was pretty cool seeing all the guys there cooking out and just enjoying a nice sunny late summer day. There was not a worry in the sky (unless you count when the burgers were going to be done) and seeing the freshmen there already participating in team activities was also very good to see. That weekend after the first two days of classes, we also got the team together for our first official game of Ultimate Frisbee. That definitely was a lot of fun.

     Finally we had our first swimmers call out for captain run practices to start. I was not expecting many people to show up, seeing as how we were still three weeks out from actual practices starting, but when I walked into the pool and saw most of the team there, looking at me, waiting for my to give them the first practice of the season, was such a great feeling. On the first day we had five new freshmen on deck ready to go, and almost sixteen other guys ready to hop in the pool and get to work. Mike Kerr, the new assistant coach this year, later said that he was thoroughly impressed with the first week’s turn out of swimmers ready to dedicate their time to this team.

     In the process of a week, we had gained two more freshmen and almost all of the guys coming back this year into practice, as well as two divers. Also new this year, besides the freshmen, is the exclusion of Ranger Day and the addition of September Saturdays which the team will get together and do Ranger Day-like activities. This past Saturday was our first one and the turn out was pretty good and very fun. We did a mixture of competitive activities other then swimming to test us physically but more importantly, give us a chance to bond with our t teammates. And now, with the start of swim lessons, it feels this year has gotten underway very quickly and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. We start coach run practices in two weeks and the ball will really be rolling by that time.

     Overall, this team looks great, and it has been a while since I have seen us so ready to make a season as successful as this one hopes to be—even with the difficulties that lay ahead for our team. If the beginning of the year has any say in how the rest of the year will be, I believe that this year, my senior year, is going to be one of the best!