A couple of months ago, Grant brought home a Summer Track and Field sign-up form for the YMCA in the next town over.  Since Grant is pretty sure he is the fastest almost-seven-year-old around, he was interested!!  Our town doesn’t have a track and field program, so we signed him up!  Our first practice was last Monday, and I just can’t describe how impressed I am with the program!  Of course, I’ll try.

• First of all, they called me to remind me that practice was starting that evening.  Hello?  Who does that?  So cool.
• It is being held at the Western Oregon University track.  As in, around the football field.  As in, HUGE stadium.  I LOVE that my kids get to experience this!
• It is being taught by a HUGE team of coaches and college athletes.  They really know what they are doing!!  They teach the how and the why.  It is awesome.
• The first night, the coaches handed us a letter from the head coach that explained what practices are going to be like and what their goals are.  I’m totally impressed.  Seriously.  Best part – good use of grammar.  (I have lower expectations of myself . . . don’t look too closely at my grammar.)
• The kids have been practicing sprints, long distance, triple jump, long jump, high jump (seriously!), and discus, so far.  They are having a blast!  They start out with a warm-up run around the track, then stretching, then they break up into 4 groups and rotate the stations.

Now, let me tell you what happened that first Monday.

I was SUPER excited (butterflies in my stomach, excited) for Grant to begin track practice.  The boys got their running gear on (yes, both of them) and we all piled into the car as soon as Daddy got home from work.

We arrived a teeny bit early, which was great because it gave us the chance to calm our butterflies.  Ahem.

I had been explaining to Cole that this was GRANT’S practice and not his practice.  The program is supposed to be for kids ages 6-14.  Cole just turned four on June 14th.  NEW 4-year-old.  He was a baby less than a month ago.  He acted a little bit disappointed, and a little bit in denial.  Hmm.

The coach gathered all of the kids and explained that they were going to start with a warm-up run around the track.  Cole jumped up to go with the kids, and I held him back for a second and then decided that he could go ahead and run.  No harm, right?  He was a little nervous, but I told him that he had to go by himself (or stand next to Grant) or he couldn’t do it.  His courage shot up and he walked onto the track and stood near Grant.  I don’t think Grant even knew he was there.

They started running, and Grant shot to the front of the pack.  He’s a fast kid, and he’s VERY competitive.  I can’t tell if his speed is from natural ability or shear will-power.  I’m so proud of him.

Cole kept up with the group the entire time and never stopped to walk.  It was so exciting and amazing to me!  I guess I just didn’t expect that from a little guy!

At about that time, I started to wonder if it was okay that I let Cole go with the team.  I mean, this isn’t babysitting.  I asked the coach if it was okay, and he said, “Sure!  Is he registered?”

I looked at him funny and said, “No.  Can he be?  He’s four!”

The coached checked with someone else and came back and said we could sign him up for the team.  WOW!  We decided to see how he did for the rest of the practice before making the commitment.

Cole was awesome.  He listened to the coaches and obeyed them perfectly.  He kept up with the older kids and didn’t require extra special assistance.  He had a blast!!

Grant went out on a run with the long distance runners.  He was gone for a long time!!  I know that they ran over a mile and he came back looking totally refreshed . . . no big deal!

I had SUCH a great time at that practice!  Giddy!

On Wednesday, Grant was across the field working on his triple jump and the ladies next to me were watching that group of kids.  They said, “Oh, this one looks like he’s got some hops on him.  He’s going to be a great jumper.”  They didn’t know he was mine.  Hee, hee!  Yes.  That gorgeous child with the hops is mine.

We decided to go ahead and register Cole for track.  When we told him he was on the team, he beamed!  He was SO excited and is taking his role VERY seriously.  The boys just love track practice and they prepare for it hours before it’s time to go.  So cute!

Skip to THIS Monday (two days ago).  That is when these photos were taken.

Part of the process of raising kids is learning how to let go, right?  Remember the whole first-time-in-public-school thing?  It was challenging for this mama, but I did it.  Every time I have to let go, I get all choked up and panicked.  Every time.  It’s a real pain in the patooee, but I’m not about to withhold my feelings, because I think they are pretty natural for a mother who loves her kids as intensely as I do.

Anywho.  (See the poor use of grammar?  Low expectations.)  After warm-up on Monday, the kids broke into groups to start their rotations.  Cole decided to go with the long-distance group.  I’m pretty sure he didn’t know what he was doing.  The head coach walked over to him and talked to him about it.  I thought, “Surely he will pull Cole out of the group.”  Nope.  AH!  So, Cole’s group took off for their long run and my heart started racing.  See, they LEAVE the stadium area and run out by the baseball fields, completely out of view.  I started getting choked up and panicky.  I vacillated between running out there and pulling him back or letting go.  Freak!  I let him go, but didn’t feel very comfortable with it, so I kept watching for as long as I could.

Sure enough, I spied my child through two layers of mesh fencing, out behind the baseball fields with no one else in sight.  I jumped up and jogged to him.  I fought tears as I spotted him wandering between the baseball fields all by his little lonesome.  He said they were too fast.  I couldn’t see a single kid out there, so I have no idea where they went.  We walked back (even though I wanted to pull my baby into my arms and cry!) and we decided that he wasn’t going to try long distance unless Daddy was running with the group.  I got him hooked up with another group of kids (triple jump!) and he was a happy boy.

Mother’s instinct.  Don’t fight it.  In my attempt to be the mom who isn’t afraid to let go, I sort of squashed that little voice inside my head that said, “Are you crazy?”  Thankfully, I didn’t squash it too much, right?

When the long distance group got back, the coach had a look of shear terror on his face.  I quickly explained that I pulled the little guy out and he is with another group.  Poor coach.  {GRRRRR}  He isn’t a parent, so he didn’t realize that the little guy was going to need some extra supervision.  I get it.  I don’t blame him.  That’s MY job.  And, I’m pretty happy with my job!

Another practice (and team pictures!) tonight!!  I can’t wait!!

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