My niece had her very first track meet tonight. She did the long jump and the 200m, both of which she did very well. And in between we sat in the bleachers for hours, as hundreds and hundreds of kids ran, jumped, threw and even race walked. They played between their events, doing more running and jumping and generally just doing what kids should do.
This was an enormous number of kids just from the local area, and most of them looking fit, happy, and well-adjusted. It’s events like this that make me think maybe, just maybe, there’s a cultural shift happening. Away from sloth and indifference and into a rediscovery of activity and athleticism that can only mean good things for future generations. To be sure, not every kid I watched tonight will go on to be an athlete in High School, College or as an adult, but many of them will, if they are encouraged. And all of them will remember running as fast as they could, their feet feeling free, while the crowd cheered them on. And that’s something.
[…] series, but for my niece Hannah, it was a first. She’s had a lot of firsts this season, from running track, to racing in a triathlon, and now racing her mountain bike. As much progress as I’ve made […]