Mike, they boys and I were supposed to go to Wyoming today. We had it all planned. Mike took the day off of work. He drove Jorja up early this morning to girls camp, so she was there. Maysen was staying home. Maysen and Jorja had instructions to not have any friends over or go out with any friends while we were gone, but they were allowed to go places together. Stockton and Preston had a dive competition in Wyoming. I was told that the registration closed on Friday. I sat down at 9:50 on my computer only to find that the registration had closed at 9:00 in the morning. I was stunned. I started texting Laurel (Preston's coach) to ask her what to do. She emailed the Wyoming guy to find out if we could register on deck. We waited to find out if we would be going to Wyoming after all.
While we waited, I pulled Stockton aside. I saw something at diving yesterday that really bothered me. I'll back up for a minute. Stockton dives with the JO kids. (Junior Olympic) Two of these divers are extremely good. One has graduated and she will be diving for BYU next year, we'll call her 'Girl A'. The other is a boy the same grade as Stockton, we'll call him 'Boy A'. When the BYU pool was opened these guys would start at 3:00 and dive until 5:00. The kids just below the JO divers would start at 3:45 and dive until 5:00. The lesson kids, which are beginning divers like Preston, would dive 5-6. Anyways, the staggered time was great. Now that the BYU pool is under construction, we dive at the U twice a week. Everyone dives at the same time. Preston has been complaining about diving at the U. He has told me that the big kids aren't nice to him and that they never let him be in the showers. I thought that was weird, and didn't really believe him.
Well. I should have. Preston was right. The kids were mean to him. First I noticed one of the girls jumping in front of the water whenever Preston tried to get in the shower. I wasn't sure if she was playing with him or not. It just struck me as odd. Toward the end of the lesson most of the kids were lined up on the 1-meter. Preston came out of the pool and the showers were off. The showers are never off in the middle of a lesson. Ever. (Only if they are broken and have never been turned on in the first place.) I saw Preston jump and try to reach the handle so he could turn the shower on. I immediately realized that the other kids turned off the shower so Preston couldn't take one. I realized this, but I couldn't process it. Why would they do that? I hurried over to him and he was so sad. I looked at the kids on the board, then back at Preston. Luckily Savannah came out of the pool and I was able to have her help me get the water back on. I wish I would have said something, I knew they were being mean, but I was still hoping I was wrong. Class ended shortly after this. I took Stockton straight to his bowling class. Mike picked him up while I was taking Jorja to her softball. Her games ended so late I didn't have a chance to talk to Stockton until this morning.
Anyways, I pulled Stockton aside this morning and said, "Please tell me what happened when the showers were off for Preston." Stockton was visibly upset while he was talking to me. Apparently some of the other divers are annoyed with Preston's existence. I know he can be obnoxious and annoying, but he doesn't goof off during diving and he doesn't take forever on the boards. I guess Girl A has been complaining about Preston saying things like, "I can't stand Preston, I just want to punch him in the face.' REALLY? Girl A is 18! Preston is 10! I get that people say 'I want to punch them in the face' all the time right now. But she is 8 years older than him. This is not okay! Anyways, Boy A told everyone it would be funny to turn off the water on Preston because he couldn't reach to turn them back on. Stockton said he was telling everyone his idea while Stockton was in the other shower. (There are two showers side by side.) Stockton thought, "Well, he can't turn off this one because I'm in it, so it will be okay." Boy A turned off the shower and Stockton followed him to the one meter shortly later. Someone must have turned off the shower after Stockton left. Stockton didn't realize it until it was too late. He said he saw Preston jumping then Preston looked at the line of kids with a look of betrayal on his face. I got to Preston before Stockton had a chance to react. Stockton was so upset. Preston was hurt and I was furious. Why are the leaders of the team picking on the little kids? Why? Why is this okay? I called and talked to Preston's coach. I also told her how Boy A and Girl A had been picking on Jackson. Jackson is Preston's age, but has been diving for awhile. He is really good. Lately he has gotten scared. Stockton told me that Girl A and Boy A ridicule him while he is on the board and that they have no patience for him. It is frustrating Jackson and he is having a hard time. Stockton heard him crying in the locker room last week. Preston and Jackson have the same coach, so I let her know what was going on. I was absolutely furious. I told her we wouldn't be going to Wyoming. (She had gotten it cleared so we could go.) I said I can not even look at Girl A and Boy A right now. I can't even handle the thought of them. She told me she understood and she would talk to Tyce about the problem. I hope he nips this in the bud because this is not okay. Diving should be my boys safe place, they don't need to be bullied there.
Anyways, because I pulled the boys out of Wyoming, Stockton could now go to Camp Heleman. They were meeting at 4:00. Mike and I hurried and got everything ready for him. Stockton usually has a hard time with change of plans, this was a big change and he handled it like a champ. Much better than his mom handled things today.
Mike, Maysen and Preston and I were alone tonight. Preston and I wanted to play a game, so we were looking for something Maysen would want to play. We knew Mike would play anything. Finally we found it! Preston knew Maysen couldn't resist Parcheesi! Maysen had hoped to play a quick game, but this lasted a long time. Preston was the victor with Maysen close behind. I decided whoever invented the game Sorry did it to play Parcheesi without the potential for gates. (Two pieces on the same space can make a gate so no one can pass it.) It was funny. Maysen's game was missing a piece, so Preston went and had a new piece 3d printed. He loves his dad's printer.
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