Meet Ruminations & Cinder Days Recalled

Thursday afternoon was the second meet of the season for the Modified Track & Field Team that I am helping to coach, and our second on the road. Tomorrow, Friday, May 2, will be our first home meet against a rival school within our district. Thus far, the kids have been working pretty hard, though the focus of much of our time in practice and at meets has been (as you might expect) on reinforcing certain behavioral expectations. Distance runners are a different matter.

While the sprinters and throwers tend to be of a more "spontaneous" nature, (and at thirteen and fourteen years old, isn't that "normal?") those kids who are committed to the longer distances offered (400-1500m) seem to be more disciplined in their approach to practice. While I enjoy working with the majority of student athletes regardless of distance, especially in helping them to focus their energies, the distance kids are the the ones with whom I have been practicing and coaching. As a veteran coach/teacher has shared with me early on (and a few times since), nearly everyone in the building qualified to coach Track & Field wants to coach distance."

I can see why. AS far as results from today's meet, I am proud to say that though we did not have a runner "win" the 1500m race, we did capture second through fifth place, with all runner's improving on their times despite the meet being at a school with a cinder track. I always like cinder for the "tchk-tchk-tchk" sound each foot strike makes, but the times were generally a second or two slower than previously. As far as the team knows, we are "2-0" in meets, so everyone is in high spirits so far.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!