There is no feeling in the world like being part of a team. A group of people with a common interest can become as tightly knit as a family. That is what I have experienced with my years with the Sioux Falls Water Ski Club. Fourteen years ago I joined this club with my daughter and niece as a summer activity that sounded like fun.This club is a show team of water ski enthusiasts who promote the sport, have a water-based summer camp for kids and put on ski shows for the public. A non-profit corporation, we purchased a gravel borrow pit west of Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls that was created when Interstate 90 was raised and transformed it into a water ski park. It is now known as Catfish Bay, named after the bay we skied in my first year with the club at Lake Madison. "The Greatest Show on H2O" performed by the club every Friday night during the summer at Catfish Bay is one hundred percent volunteer run, coordinated and produced. We compete every year in the Midwest Regional Show Ski Tournament held various places and have done as well as second place. We competed at the national level just once a few years back and were ranked seventh. Not bad for Sioux Falls, South Dakota.I have given my time to practically every position in the club and I cannot say that even one minute was wasted.My first years on the team were spent as a skier. Water skiing taught me that falling is just part of life. You just gather up your gear, get back on the dock and try again. I learned that not practicing and not doing your best could let down an entire team. I also discovered that if you never fall, you are not attempting to learn anything new. I have met the nicest people; folks who may have never crossed my life’s path if it were not for this team. I have made many dear friends. These persons have enriched my life and I am a better human being for knowing them.I would be mistaken in claiming that it has all been good. I have come across dishonest people, those with no scruples and several that think "team" is all about "me." I have met parents of skiers who make legend parents of beauty pageant teens look meek. I have learned from each of them lessons that you can only learn by exposure to them. I have watched 19 members of this club improve their skills enough to move on to the ranks of professional show skiers. They ski with Sea World, Tommy Bartlett and other organizations as far away as Japan. It is similar to a baseball player from the minor league being called up to the big show. It has been my privilege to witness their growth, and I would like to think that they, at some time, learned something from me.My water skiing activities have gotten me a total of 17 stitches, one knee surgery, and several funny mishaps. I was known as "don’t rock the boat Nancy" for quite some time after losing my balance while pulling in ropes and falling out of the twin-engine boat. Not a big deal in itself except for the fact that my leg was in a full-length cast, it was in the middle of a show, I had no life jacket on, and we were behind the main dock in full view of the entire team. My screams attracted everyone’s attention as my leg became an instant anchor and I struggled mightily to keep my head above water. There might have been a bit of cussing, too, but I don’t exactly recall, as I was fighting to keep from drowning. My boat driver was laughing so hard he could barely get out of his seat to help me. I survived with barely a shred of my dignity intact, but in a few years it was all forgotten.I love being part of a club. There are more benefits than there may seem.Closing the gate is an easier task when you do it as part of the team. Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Nancy at Nancy861@msn.com or please call me at 962-3411.