Many parents will help out with their child’s sports or activities by helping with banquets, practices, or fundraisers. Jeanette Mendez went way beyond that by getting her certification to be an official for the swim team in Stillwater. She got involved to the max! To Jeanette, being an involved parent means supporting her kids, their interests, and their teams in the best way that she can. When her kids were only six and eight years old, their team had a shortage of officials. Without those officials, they wouldn’t be able to have swim meets in Stillwater and would have to drive an hour away. Jeanette saw a need and decided that she was going to fill it.
To Jeanette, her greatest achievement has been becoming an official for the Stillwater swim team. It has given her the ability to witness firsthand her children’s triumphs and has helped the team a great deal. Her favorite memory with her daughter was being on deck as an official at the OSSSA state swim meet this year when her daughter broke not only one, but two school records. “I had watched her set this goal during her freshman year, and each year they got closer and closer. To be on deck with a front row view and to watch her celebrate with her teammates is a memory that I will never forget,” Jeanette says. Her favorite memory with her son was being in the stands when he broke a record that he has set for himself. “The first thing he did was look into the stands for me to confirm that he broke the record. To see his reaction and to see him look for me – I was so overjoyed for him,” she says.
The toughest part for Jeanette about being a sports mom is trying to provide the support and encouragement that each of her kids needs. Being a parent doesn’t come with a manual; but Jeanette always tries to figure out a way to provide what they need. She also says that scheduling everything like hotels and travel for the three day swim meets can be a challenge. Through those challenges, seeing how much joy that her kids get from participating makes everything worth it.
Jeanette also explained that without Kirsten Hoffman, the Stillwater swim coach, the team wouldn’t be where they are, and without Amy and Brian Finch, the booster club also wouldn’t be what it is today.
By Ariel Casida
