Contact:
    Oxford, Michigan
    ScottJohnsonC21@aol.com

Photos:

• Sure Beats a Kick Board! (Scott Johnson) c.2000

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• 144

Foam-Fare Reference:

V1N3P2, V1N9P2, V2N1P5, V2N3P4, V2N4P6, V2N5P5, V2N5P6, V2N6P3, V2N7P3, V2N11P2

I started high school when I left Patton. Howard Scarborough was the coach. Got out of organized swimming in high school and got away from the sport. I had a lot of fun through the 70s and met my wife at Eastern U. We got married in '77 and she still puts up with me today. (she's a saint).  In 1981 our daughter Lindsay was born. She's a great kid and is on the swim team at Michigan. Her best event is the mile and she took 6th in the Big 10s last year. I've been in real estate since 1992 with Century 21 in Rochester and am in the top 2% in sales in the Great Lakes Region. Both my wife and I play golf and we like to boat. All in all, not a real exotic life, but I have everything a man could ask for.

My first experience with Patton was at nine years old when my mom took Janie and me to Brennan at a ridiculous time in the morning. We were there for Janie but I'll never forget Harry looking at me and saying, "Do you want to swim too?" Well, being young and dumb, I said yes. All Harry said was, "Ok  then get in and swim a mile." Yikes. Little did I know how that day would affect my life. Every morning a Brennan, going to the Daly burger place then to Carol's to swim in her pool, and then back to practice. What were we thinking? This is your brain on chlorine...get the picture. I remember how cold we were and stealing Harry's coffee and pouring it on our feet, and how we would climb into the sinks in the locker room because the water was warm.  And I will never forget the hole in the locker room that let the boys see into the girl's locker room. (sorry guys, I had to tell). And the hearts games under the bleachers at the meets. I remember opening the door at Patton in the winter and jumping in the snow. I could go on forever. Damn, it was great!

There is no doubt that Harry worked our tails off. We learned that something worth having was worth working for. We learned how to win and loose like champions. A lesson that I use to this day. As my daughter progressed in her swimming career I would impart some of my lessons to her. I would tell her all about Harry the Hawk when she would complain about a tough workout. (Ha...Harry would eat today's kids for lunch.) Lindsay hit a plateau at age 17 and almost quit. I told her that we all have been there and Harry told us to get through it. It took her a full year of frustration before she got to the other side, maybe it was her own determination. But I think it was me yelling, "Do it for Harry," from the stands. She hated that. Today my family walks with the Lord and I and grateful that I had these life experiences to share.