Make It Happen: The Race Is Bigger Than Any One Team
by Craig Charlson
Sunday, July 26, 2026
As we approach the end of our inaugural year at Brazadas Swim Club, I keep thinking about the tortoise and the hare.
Earlier this year, I shared an expanded version of that familiar story. In the final race, the tortoise and the hare stopped competing against one another and began working together. The hare carried the tortoise across the land, and the tortoise carried the hare through the water.
Together, they finished faster than either could have alone.
That lesson feels especially meaningful as we finish our first year.
Making It Happen
When Brazadas began, our theme was simple: Make It Happen.
It was more than a slogan. It became the mindset behind everything we did.
We launched new programs, opened a new aquatic facility, hosted meets, welcomed hundreds of swimmers, and began building a stronger year-round swimming culture in Bakersfield.
None of it happened because the circumstances were perfect.
It happened because swimmers, families, coaches, staff members, volunteers, and community partners believed in what we were building and worked together to make it possible.
There were long days, unexpected changes, difficult decisions, and plenty of moments when we had to adjust.
But we kept moving forward.
Slowly at times. Quickly at others. Always forward.
More Than Times and Medals
This week, our final championship meets of the season are underway.
Our swimmers have spent months training, learning, competing, and supporting one another. Some are attending their first major championship meet. Others are competing at the highest level they have reached so far.
Every swimmer’s journey has looked different.
Some made major time drops. Some learned how to handle disappointment. Some discovered confidence they did not know they had. Others learned the value of consistency, commitment, and being a good teammate.
Championship season is often measured by times, places, medals, and qualifications.
Those things matter, but the deeper measure of success is who our swimmers are becoming through the process.
Keeping Swimmers First
Swimming in our community is going through a period of change. Some families are exploring new opportunities and trying to understand what comes next for their athletes.
During times like these, it is important for coaches and organizations to communicate clearly, treat families respectfully, and keep swimmers at the center of every decision.
Different programs will have different goals, philosophies, and approaches. That is healthy.
But we can still support one another, create opportunities, and help families understand the different paths available to their swimmers.
Youth sports work best when the adults remember why we are here.
The swimmers should always come first.
The Race Is Not Against One Another
The greatest result in the tortoise and hare story came when they stopped trying to defeat one another and focused on completing the course together.
That is also the opportunity in front of our swimming community.
We need swim schools introducing children to the water.
We need summer recreation programs helping young athletes fall in love with the sport.
We need high school and college programs giving swimmers meaningful competitive experiences.
We need year-round clubs helping athletes develop over time and pursue larger goals.
Each part of the swimming community has an important role.
When we work together, more swimmers benefit and the sport grows.
The Next Chapter
As a new organization, Brazadas still has a great deal to learn.
We will continue listening, adjusting, and improving. We will make mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward.
But our purpose will remain the same.
We want Brazadas to be a place that welcomes swimmers, develops coaches, supports families, builds relationships, and puts athletes first.
We want to create opportunities for beginners taking their first strokes and experienced swimmers pursuing championship-level goals.
We want to be competitive without losing perspective.
We want to grow while helping swimming grow throughout Bakersfield and Kern County.
“Make It Happen” helped us begin.
As we prepare for our second year, it continues to remind us that progress comes from stepping forward, doing the work, and helping others along the way.
The fastest path forward will not come from racing against one another.
It will come from recognizing our different strengths and working together through the difficult parts of the course.
Sometimes the greatest victory is not reaching the finish line first.
Sometimes it is making sure every swimmer has the opportunity to reach it.
