Baileys enjoy busy summer

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 12, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 12, 2000

LAPLACE – Looking out behind the residence of Dr. Colin and Mary Bailey inLaPlace, one can see the driving range and club house of Belle Terre Country Club.

For their daughters, Laura and Alexis, Belle Terre truly is another home next door.

Both Laura and Alexis swim for the Belle Terre Piranhas in the River Parishes Swim League during the summer. And both played junior golf at the countryclub this summer.

Alexis, a fifth-grader at Ascension of Our Lord School, began swimming at the age of 4. Laura, a sixth-grader at AOL, was 5 when she began swimming.Both swam for Belle Terre at the River Parishes Swim League Invitational last month.

Alexis won three events – the butterfly, freestyle and backstroke – and was the top scored in the 9-10 age group. Laura competed in the individualmedley, backstroke and butterly in the 11-12 group.

“It’s pretty good,” Laura said of swimming in the summer league. “It’s not asdifficult as swimming year-round. You have more competition in that and youswim more.”Both girls swim year-round for the Crescent City Swim Club. This year, thatteam won the state short course championship and was second in the long course, finishing 43 points behind Elmwood. A year ago, the team won bothtitles.

Laura swam on the relay team for Crescent City at the state long course meet. Alexis competed in seven events, placing in the top eight in six ofthem.

The girls also played in the junior golf program this summer. Laura, in herthird year in the sport, played in the nine-hole competition. She placed sixthat the Junior Club Championship held last month and finished 13th in the points race for the season in the nine-hole competition.

“It was really difficult,” Laura said. “There were a lot of boys playing whoplay almost every day.”Alexis, playing her first year, competed in the three-hole competition. Shefinished fifth at the Junior Club Championship and third in the points race in her category.

“I was kind of nervous,” Alexis said. “I didn’t really know anybody and I didn’tknow if I would do it right.”When not in the pool or on the golf course, the girls can be found playing sports in their neighborhood, everything from soccer and baseball to football. Going up a grade at AOL, Laura is also looking forward to playingother sports.

“Going into sixth grade, I be able to play other sports for my school,” Laura said.

Both girls said their parents were their biggest influence in sports. Theirmom plays tennis, gold, jogs and rides a bike. Their dad plays golf and alsoplays tennis and jogs. And whatever their girls are in, there are thereparents to watch.

“It’s fun,” Mary Bailey said. “I enjoy it. It’s fun seeing how much they’veimproved and how much they enjoy it. They’ve met a lot of good friendsthrough it. And it keeps them active.”Both girls are competitive, although they only go against each other in swimming a few months at a time every couple of years because they compete in different age groups.

“Sometimes if I beat her, I don’t want to brag because I don’t want her mad at me,” Alexis said.

Laura said the competition between the two makes them better.

“I think so,” Laura said. “We both want to beat each other.”But Laura said she doesn’t mind having her younger sister on the same team.

“We would have a good relay,” Laura said.

Both want to continue playing sports as they get older. Laura would like toget into running when she gets to high school while Alexis wants to stay in swimming. She follows Olympic swimmer Jenny Thompson and will be watchingher at the Sydney Olympics next month.

“That you can learn and have fun at the same time,” Alexis said on why she likes playing sports.

Laura agreed.

“Fun for one,” Laura said. “I like just going out and doing your best.”

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