Joining an adults swim team has helped two men erase emotional scars
from high school

For many gay men, the high school years were a difficult
experience. Ask those same gay men to name the most stressful part of that
high school era and you'd be surprised to hear the same answer over and over
again. "The most traumatic class for me in High School was Physical Education!" says Steve Armijo, a resident of Long Beach, California.

"I hated PE. It was so intimidating having to be athletic in front of the
other guys. I had no hand-eye coordination and so I was constantly dropping
the football.the baseball.the basketball.the soccer ball...any kind of ball!
Everytime I messed up, the other guys would be really cruel and mean , P.E.
was institutionalized torture for me." Steve at age 16, was shy, averse to
P.E. classes, ostracized by the "regular" boys, preferring to read celebrity
tabloids and watch 'Dynasty' alone in his room.

"I first realized that something about me was different around the 6th grade
when I felt like I had no interest in sports. I always hated P.E. because
I was just so bad at it. I guess that's where my disinterest in sports came
from. Most of the people in school thought of me as a "sissy" because I never
got into sports. I wanted to be an actor, and that was my defense. I joined
the drama club along with the other misfits and nerds in our school.

"I was never what you would call athletic" claims Sergio Rodriguez, also
a resident of Long Beach. "I would dread going to P.E. class. All day long
it would be on my mind. The laughter, the taunts, the fear of being called weak, or being told that you run like a girl, or being called Sissy Sergio. It was not a happy time for me".

For some people the emotional scars of high school PE trauma can live on for years. It keeps many gay men away from sports because they do not see themselves able to participate in a world that ostracized them.

As adults, both Armijo and Rodriguez decided to face those high school fears. They joined a local swim team. The Grunions are Long Beach's first gay and lesbian swim team.

"What I like about the Grunions is that it's not just a club for jocks! It is a team for people - fast swimmers, slow swimmers, rank beginners, Olympic level experts, it's for anyone who loves to swim and wants to improve in an atmosphere that is supportive and friendly!" infuses Rodriguez.

"That is what I like about it too!" agrees Armijo. "I have never ever been
on a team, or competitive. And the other guys on the team have welcomed me,
made me feel comfortable and helped me get better!"

"I finally understand what that team stuff is all about. I have really bonded
with my teammates. I feel like they are my support group. We swim together,
we hang out together, we watch out for each other. It's a shame that I missed
out on all this back in high school. muses Rodriguez.

"Sergio and I laugh about the fact that we are the slowest swimmers on the
team. But you know what? No one else looks down at us because we aren't big
jocks. Everyone goes out of their way to encourage us, to help us improve
and to make us better swimmers. Because in the end I guess that's what being
part of a team is all about. You are only as strong as your weakest link."
states Armijo. "Oh totally!, agrees Rodriguez. "People always look at me
funny when I tell them that I am this years club president, but being on
the team is not about how fast you are, it's how much you want it...and I
really wanted to be a swimmer."

Both men agree that being part of the Long Beach Grunions has helped erase
the scars of those high school years. As athletes, as members of a team,
as competitors, they are replacing those painful memories with new ones.
Their enjoyment and their pride in their accomplishments is obvious.

Not only are these two men re-writing their past, but they are looking forward
to an exciting future. "This year, the Grunions are going to their first
international swim meet. There will be 1,000 swimmers from all over the world
and we're gonna be there! Can you imagine that? Me - Sissy Sergio!" exclaims
Rodriguez. "Not just you Sergio - I'll be there too. We'll be there together.
We'll be there to represent all the nerdy gay boys who got beat up in P.E.
class. We'll be there to show them that you beat us up, you can call us names,
but you can't keep us down! proclaims Armijo.

The Long Beach Grunions is a masters swim club located in Long Beach, California. The Grunions meet 3 times a week at local area pools for swim practice. Women are encouraged and welcome. For up to the minute information, practice times,
days and locations contact the club at info@lbgrunions.com or (562) 252-0220.

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• More LGBT Resources in Long Beach, California can be found
  here.
  
• More Resources for LGBT Athletes can be found here.