1% + 98%

What does that equal? Well, it equals a successful track season for WeeOne.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, an athlete. I have enjoyed simple sports: biking, swimming, playing "Kick the Can" with neighborhood kids, but I was never part of organized athletics. Well, there was one season where I was a "student manager" for the girls Varsity volleyball team, but...

Somehow, when the boys left home for college I figured my days of being a "sports mom" were done. After all, I had girls. I was a girl. I didn't do sports. My girls wouldn't do sports. Guess again. MMH decided her 8th grade year that she wanted to play volleyball. Mind you, she had never played before, nor did she even know the rules to the game, she just knew she wanted to play. Then around comes her freshman year and volleyball was at the forefront again. At least until that season was over and basketball began. Two sports? Not even the boys did that.

Then around Christmas we started hearing the word "TRACK"... but it wasn't coming from MMH, rather it came from WeeOne. She of the never-ending energy had decided that Track and Field would be HER sport. After all, she knew how to run. Right? HA! And then, horror of horrors, big sister decided she ALSO wanted to participate. At which point I thought I might lose my mind. Three sports in one year? I was tired, tired, tired of the driving, but Dear gave the go-ahead, so we went ahead.

Week 2 hit in the Varsity track team and MMH had to drop out... Osgood Slaughters (let's simply say debilitating knee pain) was the causal agent. Meanwhile WeeOne had begun her season and she was NOT happy. Actually the word "QUIT" was heard being murmured and mumbled from her region of the back seat after practice each day. We talked about learning how to "stay the course" how to "run the race that is set before you" and many other such things. In the end, we simply said, MMH HAD to quit, but you may NOT quit. Just tough it out.

Goals were set, and eventually met, and finally one day she exited practice with a smile on her face. Within one week she was saying that she might think about running next year, and a week later she told us she was 91% sure she would run. Meanwhile the rains kept coming down, meets kept getting cancelled and we all began to wonder if this would be a season with no competition.

Always a good idea to let your coach know if you're leaving the field. Ahem!

Note WeeOne in the upper left corner.

FINALLY made it to the start line. ALWAYS wait till they say if your heat is or is not running before you walk off.

Finally her first meet came around and she was able to compete. She didn't win, but she did win one of her heats, and she did well. And, when it all ended this past week she said, with a big smile on her face, "I'm 1% + 98% sure I'll be running next year." Now THAT made for a successful season!

This is the face that sums it up. She decided she wanted to run, and run fast. She won this heat.

So, all in all a good year. Tonight at the dinner her coaches recognized her as the team member that never complained, and also the team member who really improved her time. I'm proud, she did indeed run the race set before her.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us... Hebrews 12:1

I pray she may run all her races in such a manner. 

Shalom,
Kim