Nothing is so reassuring of our future than attending a middle school track meet. The weather was horrible for the event; over 90 degrees, full sun, and strong winds. Even spectators were uncomfortable. But it was bliss watching the youthful athletes, at least for me. At this point, it was all about natural abilities. Nobody had much in the way of training. I know every school had a coach, but the Coach of Abigail's school had never run track herself but had played on the volleyball team at Trinity University, so I assume all schools had a similar level of expertise. What that coach brought to the table was enthusiasm and attitude, which you must admit is a wonderful tool to carry with you for life.
Those young people ran and jumped as if their life depended on it. They tried hard to get ahead and run fast. Even if they were coming in last, it was clear they were straining to run as fast as their legs would carry them. This meet was the last of the season and was the regional final for the organization, which was the Greater San Antonio Christian School Athletic League. I'm not sure how the Home School Sports Team got admitted into the League but perhaps the public schools would not allow them to compete as a single group. As an aside, the home school kids clearly had been well trained. They all wore racing shoes and their trainers called their time splits out to them as they ran around the oval. And they clearly had more time to train. Abigail did not even know what a split time was, let alone how fast she should be running.
Abigail's sixth grade class won the meet, so they were undefeated for the year. They were thrilled to win but they were more thrilled to run and compete. I over heard the coach talk to the team right at the beginning of the meet. She said, "I want no comments about the weather. I want enthusiasm for the event. I want your best effort of the season. And I want a smile of gratitude at the end." For my money, she may not know much about running track, but for middle school kids, she was a great coach.
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