Proud Mama | Golden Skate

Proud Mama

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Last night I and my husband attended our youngest sons high school track banquet. For my husband and I this was a new experience. We have a older son (19 yrs old) that was never involved in sports (or anything for that matter) in high school. We felt lucky to just get him through high school. He is now doing great in his first year of Jr College (3.8 gpa).

When our youngest Dean who is 15 years old and a freshman started high school this last year we wanted him to become involved in something and have a positive experience in his high school years. He had never been involved in any organized sports growing up. He loves to surf (his school does have a surf team), but he needs some more time and practice surfing before he joins a team-his school has very good surfers. So as the school year passed I kept at him to join something anything. This was met with resistance, "quit bugging me mom!!" As spring time rolled around I looked at the list of sports that one could join and track and field was a sport that anyone could join. Just show up and they would find a event or events for you to do. Come to practice and you will be on a high school sports team! So I suggested to Dean to do Track and Field. Everyday I would pick him up after school and ask "did you join" and he would say " quit bugging me about it!". I finally gave up. Then one day he called me and said "mom pick me up later I joined the track team". After picking myself off the floor I said "ok". Since he was in no shape for running the next two weeks had him barely able to walk with sore muscles, and he constantly complained to us and his coaches how he couldn't possible continue training and running. I told him number one rule in athletics, "NO COMPLAINING", suck it up and keep going.

The events that he ran were JVB 100meters, 200meters, and 400meter relay.
With each meet he improved and was the fastest freshman for the 100 & 200 meters. The last two meets he was put up with the JVA guys. He didn't qualily for any league championships or CIF, but he gathered a lot of points for his team.

The "freshman complainer" became a "respectable runner". Mom and dad were happy that he was participating and getting involved in something positive. When he was winning it was just an extra bonus.

Well last night that "freshman complainer" turned "respectable runner" won the JV Boys MVP award. Not bad for the first time out :thumbsup:

Proud Mama
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Congrats to your son!!!

You must be so proud. I love to see kids involved in sports, especially during those high school years! What a wonderful opportunity and experience for him.

DG
 

JOHIO2

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Yeah for your MVP! My daughter was involved with sports and music in high school but my son refused. As a senior, he came to the conclusion that with his rotten grades and lack of extracurricular activities, he didn't have anything special to offer up in pursuit of college money, so he joined the Army Reserve. A year of Army was enough motivation for him to become an honor student at OSU. Then active duty for the war on terror and now another year of active duty spent in Iraq adds incentive to succeed. I wanted him to learn discipline and perserverence and that was the way he did it. (btw, he's coming home in the next few weeks) In the next year or so, I hope to see him graduate with honors.

Sports are great motivation and are also good for acquiring good memories and great friends. I bet he's glad now that you "bugged" him. Best of luck to him for the rest of his high school years. (and I bet you are now looking forward to having big brother graduate as an honor student)
 
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RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
That is absolutely fabulous news!

My daughter is the athlete I never was and never will be. Swimming is her primary sport. Sports is a wonderful way to focus energy, keep kids busy and determined while doing something great for their bodies. The friends they make from their athletic endeavors tend to be responsible and just as dedicated, leaving a whole lot less time to get into trouble. (Oh, I just realized that we're about to enter the 5:30 A.M. practice time schedule for the summer. Oy vey!)
 

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Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I love these kind of "feel good" stories. Just when you feel you can't tred water anymore, your kids come along and surprise you and make you realize why you became a parent in the first place......... :clap: 42
 
Joined
Jan 30, 2004
How wonderful!!! Congratulations!!!

I hope, if it's what he wants, your son gets to try out the surf team experience as well.
 
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