Another year and another Kansas State Track Meet in the books. I’ve gotten used to being here and that’s not me being a braggart. It IS me enjoying the fruits of my labors over the course of coaching fifteen track seasons. This was the first season in twelve years that I didn’t get a thrower through to the state meet. I struggled with that at first because it made me feel like I had failed. My wife, my rock, was quick to set me down the right road. She pointed out that making it to the State Meet wasn’t synonymous with success. She asked me to look back at the year and ask myself if the kids that I had coached had improved and by how much. She was right, as usual, and I saw the success that I had seen through the year. I had really felt the Track season before that I had not coached well, that I hadn’t put my heart into it like I should have, and had failed to give one of my throwers the coach he really needed. I came back this year focused on being the throwing coach that my athletes needed and could count on. I believe I came through even if we didn’t have a thrower qualify for the State Meet. To be honest as well, I may have made it twelve years in a row but there were a lot of those years that I lucked out with either a kid throwing an unexpected distance or being placed in a weak Regional Meet. I’m still here, I still got to coach some kids up, and that’s always something I enjoy even if they weren’t one of my throwers.
One of the best parts is starting to be seeing old friends every year here that I’ve coached with in the past. I’ve been at enough schools that I’ve got a pretty large network of coaching friends that I’ve started taking the time to go see and spend a little time with. Then there’s the kids that I’ve coached in the past that coach Track now and are here and again I have to spend time catching up on their lives. If that wasn’t enough go ahead and throw in the kids that I’ve coached or taught that are watching siblings compete and even a few of those siblings that I coached at one point. I’m blessed with that network of relationships. We catch up on our families and we reminisce on great moments that we’ve enjoyed together.
I’m also becoming that coach that has numerous state stories to tell for every given situation! I used to chuckle at those coaches and now I am one. I like talking about those different experiences though. I like the memories, even the tough ones. We had a lightening delay this year, luckily the storm rolled through quickly and only set the meet back two hours. That delay immediately brought to mind two years prior when a massive storm rolled through and they had to delay the rest of the first day of the meet. Then on top of that they still managed to squeeze everything into one day. It was hectic! It may never happen like that again in 30 years but I was there for it that one time. It cost a kid I was coaching in the discus, those things can get into a high school kids head pretty easy. Another time I chewed out a girl discus thrower of mine and she cried through all of her preliminary throws, still so sorry about that Abby. There’s been great moments as well, State Champions in throws, surprise medalists, and one State plaque for third place. Maybe in my next fifteen I’ll finally get the State Championship I’ve always wanted.
Thanks for the memories State Track, until next year. I look forward to new memories and telling old stories.
Heavy Hiking 