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I did something I haven't done in years last weekend. I went to a run-of-the-mill high school track meet. I faithfully attend the Texas high school state championships every year, which almost feels like going to a world-class meet, and I always try to go to all of the U. of Texas meets here in Austin, but it had been more than a decade since I went to just a plain old, non-championship meet. I went back to my home town, Rockdale, Texas (pop. 5,600) and watched the Rockdale Relays, which I haven't attended since I ran a 4:30.9 in the mile (1600, actually, but I adhere to T&FN's anti-1600 stance) there back in 1986.
What a joy it was. No steroids, no million-dollar egos ... heck, not even any auto timers or fancy scoreboards. In fact, I had to time everything on my own watch if I wanted to know what caliber performances I was seeing.
There is something so pure about watching these kids. They're just out there for the joy of participating in athletics. And they really give it their all, just trying to score a few points for the team. One of the grittiest, most bare-knuckled fights to the finish I've ever seen was in a junior varsity race as two kids sprinted like mad at the end of the mile -- just to keep from finishing last!
I especially enjoyed the boys varsity mile, my old event. The meet record is a 4:29 flat, and I wanted to see if this kid from nearby Elgin could get it, or at least beat my old time. He got close, and I rooted for him the whole way as if he were my own kid. He just missed my old time with a 4:31.0. (Of course, he was probably tired from a brilliant solo 9:35 earlier that morning, nearly 20 seconds faster than I ever ran with tough competition.)
If you're tired of the scandals and crybabies and prima donnas and haven't been to a HS meet in a while, I highly recommend it. It really refreshed my soul and my love of this sport.
What a joy it was. No steroids, no million-dollar egos ... heck, not even any auto timers or fancy scoreboards. In fact, I had to time everything on my own watch if I wanted to know what caliber performances I was seeing.
There is something so pure about watching these kids. They're just out there for the joy of participating in athletics. And they really give it their all, just trying to score a few points for the team. One of the grittiest, most bare-knuckled fights to the finish I've ever seen was in a junior varsity race as two kids sprinted like mad at the end of the mile -- just to keep from finishing last!
I especially enjoyed the boys varsity mile, my old event. The meet record is a 4:29 flat, and I wanted to see if this kid from nearby Elgin could get it, or at least beat my old time. He got close, and I rooted for him the whole way as if he were my own kid. He just missed my old time with a 4:31.0. (Of course, he was probably tired from a brilliant solo 9:35 earlier that morning, nearly 20 seconds faster than I ever ran with tough competition.)
If you're tired of the scandals and crybabies and prima donnas and haven't been to a HS meet in a while, I highly recommend it. It really refreshed my soul and my love of this sport.
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