I took the 2 hour trek up to Fort Dodge on Thursday to see David run Cross Country. To my shame, I haven't made it to any meets before this. David is running CC for the first time this year, mostly to stay in shape for wrestling but also to fulfill "other obligations" related to the Iowa rules regarding academic eligibility. I'll let you read between the lines on that one....
It was a perfect evening, and an even more perfect setting at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course. Georgeous. That's the only word for it. David was amazingly calm as he warmed up...
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| I'm getting a bit of 70s vibe with this headband and the socks. Seriously, do you see socks like this on any of the other guys? |
I was so grateful for my friend Lori Lipscolm, who oriented me to the routine. First, you yell and scream as the team takes off... (see if you can find the socks.) They actually shoot a gun off!
Then you run to the other side of the golf course to cheer them on...
Then you line up at the finish line to wait... and wait...
Until you see your kid nearing the finish line, and you nearly pee your pants with excitement!!!
Seriously, David was solidly in the middle of the pack and finished with a respectable time. I was proud. But what really impressed me was the sportsmanship and encouragement that everyone, and I mean everyone, exhibited. There were at least a dozen teams, and not one bad sport. Everyone encouraged everyone, regardless of what team they were on. These athletes were running to compete mostly against themselves, to improve their own personal performance, and what I saw was a collective effort to encourage each one to do his personal best.
What if we encouraged one another like this every day?
As an aside, I caught this photo as the varsity boys finished the final stretch to the finish...
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| It was definitely worth the drive. |
As the mom of a cross country runner, every word that you wrote reminded me of some moment of the last five years of attending cross country meets. It is so true that everyone supports each other. Its part of why I like this sport so much. Thank goodness for your friend that told you what to expect because that first meet can be eye-opening. I hope you can attend a few more before the season ends.
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