mrscatinthehat
Seussical
easy child is in track. She isn't the best but she is pretty good. She also puts in tons of effort (as she does with most activities). Somehow I managed over the years to convince her that if you are going to do something do it whole hearted. Well this has paid off in the past.
In middle school she loved track in 7th grade. Did well etc. Then 8th grade came along. With a different coach. He had never coached girls or track. He had coached football. She came home every day and vented. But she hung tough. If he needed someone extra to do something she did it. If someone didn't show up at a meet she filled in. In the end it paid off with her receiving MVP for her team. He recognized all she did. Of course I took that opportunity to express pride and a life lesson.
So we move to last year her freshman year. She normally does hurdles and 200 or 400 dashes. Those are her events she does best. She did ok in the ones she did last year. The only glitch was that on one of the hurdle events someone had clicked the hurdle up a notch and she caught her foot. She didnt' stop running but she hurt after that and she didn't run with the same enthusiasm.
Now flash forward to this year. In the first couple of weeks of practice she hurt her hip. To the point that she dropped. We took her to the doctor and had it checked out. He had her off track practice for about a week. So then she starts to ease back into practice. The coach tells her no more hurdles. easy child was very disappointed but excepted that it was so she didnt' hurt herself again as the doctor had said if she did he would say no more track ever. And she loves track. So just regular races is what she is to do. No problem.
Big problem. When we got the email Monday night for Tuesdays meet I about fell off my chair. Then of course I called easy child out of her room to review it with her. She was actually talking of when she died to please do this or that for her. I know that sounds dramatic however the races she was to run seemed a bit much to me. She was scheduled four events. That is not the part that bothered me. It was the choice of events. Her first was the last leg of the distance Medley (200, 200, 400, 800). Ok not what she would normally do but ok. Then her next event was the 400 dash. Which was the next race. As in finish the Medley and immediately get on the blocks for the next race. This bothered me a bit. Then her next race was another 800. The 800 dash (not my idea of a dash but that is what THEY call it). And drum roll please her last race was the 1500 (yes the girls version of the mile).
When she ran that last race (I always video tape them). I am watching her on lap 4 (the final lap) kick in this speed to pass the person in front of her so tha tshe didnt' come in last. I couldn't believe I saw her just boost it up. The problem came as she finished the race. She fainted. I wasn't sure what had happened when I saw her go down. So I watched carefully and they got her up and walking off the track. Now keep in mind at that point I don't know it is a faint. I just know my baby dropped. But since no one seems to feel they need to get the mom I restrain myself (not an easy task). At that point I went and got the car to the pick up spot and waited as the last race was run.
When easy child gets in the car she asks if I saw her faint. Oh so that is what happened. As I try to remain calm no that it wasn't her fault. I start muttering about talking to the coach as this was unexceptable and she asks me to leave it alone. She doesn't want to be a complainer. Besides if I say something and she doesn't the coach won't change anything anyway.
Now I think she is really overextending my easy child. And when I looked at the list to see if she had been doing it to anyone else the answer is not so much. In fact her daughter is on the team and she does four events. Want to go through those with me. Ok. She does a field event. The shuttle hurdles (that is 100), The 100 hurdles, and the 4x 100. So in all her daughter is running 300 meters and doing the high jump. My easy child ran 3500 meters and is not a distance runner. Hmmmmm can anyone else do the math. I don't have a problem with her working easy child hard but I do have a problem when she abuses her. And when I say abuse I mean her good natured spirit.
So now I am in a conundrum. easy child wants it left alone. She is ok and was after the meet. But how long do I let this go on. I know easy child is 16 and can make up her own mind. She generally has good common sense. So how do I convince myself that I need to leave it alone. She is still a kid and isn't going to get that she is going to burn herself out.
For the moment I am abiding by her wishes. But that could change at any time. I did notice a few other parents commenting on how strange it was she had so much and especially the back to back race. So who knows maybe I won't have to say anything.
Thanks for listening.
beth
In middle school she loved track in 7th grade. Did well etc. Then 8th grade came along. With a different coach. He had never coached girls or track. He had coached football. She came home every day and vented. But she hung tough. If he needed someone extra to do something she did it. If someone didn't show up at a meet she filled in. In the end it paid off with her receiving MVP for her team. He recognized all she did. Of course I took that opportunity to express pride and a life lesson.
So we move to last year her freshman year. She normally does hurdles and 200 or 400 dashes. Those are her events she does best. She did ok in the ones she did last year. The only glitch was that on one of the hurdle events someone had clicked the hurdle up a notch and she caught her foot. She didnt' stop running but she hurt after that and she didn't run with the same enthusiasm.
Now flash forward to this year. In the first couple of weeks of practice she hurt her hip. To the point that she dropped. We took her to the doctor and had it checked out. He had her off track practice for about a week. So then she starts to ease back into practice. The coach tells her no more hurdles. easy child was very disappointed but excepted that it was so she didnt' hurt herself again as the doctor had said if she did he would say no more track ever. And she loves track. So just regular races is what she is to do. No problem.
Big problem. When we got the email Monday night for Tuesdays meet I about fell off my chair. Then of course I called easy child out of her room to review it with her. She was actually talking of when she died to please do this or that for her. I know that sounds dramatic however the races she was to run seemed a bit much to me. She was scheduled four events. That is not the part that bothered me. It was the choice of events. Her first was the last leg of the distance Medley (200, 200, 400, 800). Ok not what she would normally do but ok. Then her next event was the 400 dash. Which was the next race. As in finish the Medley and immediately get on the blocks for the next race. This bothered me a bit. Then her next race was another 800. The 800 dash (not my idea of a dash but that is what THEY call it). And drum roll please her last race was the 1500 (yes the girls version of the mile).
When she ran that last race (I always video tape them). I am watching her on lap 4 (the final lap) kick in this speed to pass the person in front of her so tha tshe didnt' come in last. I couldn't believe I saw her just boost it up. The problem came as she finished the race. She fainted. I wasn't sure what had happened when I saw her go down. So I watched carefully and they got her up and walking off the track. Now keep in mind at that point I don't know it is a faint. I just know my baby dropped. But since no one seems to feel they need to get the mom I restrain myself (not an easy task). At that point I went and got the car to the pick up spot and waited as the last race was run.
When easy child gets in the car she asks if I saw her faint. Oh so that is what happened. As I try to remain calm no that it wasn't her fault. I start muttering about talking to the coach as this was unexceptable and she asks me to leave it alone. She doesn't want to be a complainer. Besides if I say something and she doesn't the coach won't change anything anyway.
Now I think she is really overextending my easy child. And when I looked at the list to see if she had been doing it to anyone else the answer is not so much. In fact her daughter is on the team and she does four events. Want to go through those with me. Ok. She does a field event. The shuttle hurdles (that is 100), The 100 hurdles, and the 4x 100. So in all her daughter is running 300 meters and doing the high jump. My easy child ran 3500 meters and is not a distance runner. Hmmmmm can anyone else do the math. I don't have a problem with her working easy child hard but I do have a problem when she abuses her. And when I say abuse I mean her good natured spirit.
So now I am in a conundrum. easy child wants it left alone. She is ok and was after the meet. But how long do I let this go on. I know easy child is 16 and can make up her own mind. She generally has good common sense. So how do I convince myself that I need to leave it alone. She is still a kid and isn't going to get that she is going to burn herself out.
For the moment I am abiding by her wishes. But that could change at any time. I did notice a few other parents commenting on how strange it was she had so much and especially the back to back race. So who knows maybe I won't have to say anything.
Thanks for listening.
beth
years later. 
