Great Ending

Last week, I told you about how I became a track coach for the first time.  I wanted to update that story, and share how God is working here in Peoria.

I ended up having three kids make it to the IESA class A state track meet.  One 8th grade boy made it in the shot put, one 8th grade girl made it in the 200m dash, and a 7th grade boy in the 100m and 200m dash.  

Before I get started though, I should point out that our local paper put this story on the front page in Wednesdays paper.  (I submitted the story to “random acts of kindness” and they liked it–more pics)

As I said before, I know NOTHING about being a track coach, so I found some help…on YouTube.  If you know me, you know that I am not a shot put-er, so I found some great instructional videos on YouTube.  Our 8th grader ended up throwing a personal best, missing the final round by only a few inches.  

My sprinters were a different story.  I knew how to work on starts, and they knew how to run.  The only thing slowing them down were their shoes.  They had made it to state running in basketball shoes.  One of the other teachers at our school was going to use a connection at an area high school to get some spikes for the meet.  On friday, the day of the meet, me colleague was not at school.  Not knowing who to call, I went to our local running store to see if I could get a pair of used spikes, or a discount on new ones.  The owner of the store heard my story, and then went in the back.  He came out with two brand new pairs of running spikes and told me that he wanted to donate them to the kids.  He said that making it to state is a great accomplishment, and doing it in basketball shoes was amazing.  He wanted my runners to be at no disadvantage.

I was absolutely amazed that he would donate two pairs of spikes to two jr. high runners.  He didn’t have any questions, he just heard that kids were competing, and wanted to help them out.  

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After getting the shoes, my 7th grader had to compete that night in the prelims for the 100m.  This was only his 3rd track meet ever, so he was a little nervous.  When the gun sounded, he took off and blew the competition away.  He beat them by nearly a second and a half in the first round, and had the fastest prelim time.  

For the semis, he ran even faster and put up his personal best time, beating the competition by just .3 seconds.

The finals were run the next day, and he was feeling very tight.  it was a morning run, and it had gotten pretty chilly.  He stretched pretty good, and then got ready for the race.  When the gun went off, he got a great lead, and held off a great surge by the runner in the lane next to him.  He ended up winning the race by .01 second.  

He was officially the 2008 IESA state champion in the 100m dash.

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Between his two races, and my 8th grade girl’s race, they both ran their personal best times in each event.  She beat her 200 meter time by 2 seconds, and he beat his 100 meter time by more than a second, and his 200 meter time by 1.5 seconds.

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The amazing thing to me through all of this, is how God showed himself.  I saw my role as a connection to get the real role players involved.  The way the owner of Running Central took care of a need and helped out my students in a great way really humbled me.  I don’t know if he is a Christian, but I know that he was an example to me.  I know that if I have the ability, I want to help people with the smallest of things, to big things.  

 

 

I’m a Track Coach

I chuckle a little just saying that.  ”I’m a track coach.”  huh huh

Ya see, I was asked about a week and a half ago to be the track coach at my school.  The original coach was in a car accident, and they had not been practicing for about 2 weeks.  I felt bad for the kids, so I said yes.  My schedule is CRAZY right now (with moving on the very near horizon), but I just wanted the kids to be able to compete.  

In those 2 weeks of no practice, the kids missed 2 or 3 meets, and opportunities to get better times for sectional placement.

**A little history lesson on my track history**

I last ran track in jr. high as our team’s mile runner.  I was 4th on the list

**History lesson over**

I started coaching the week of our sectional meet.  We had four practices last week, and the sectional meet on Saturday.  I seriously unloaded any running information I have ever heard, used, seen used, thought I heard, and made up.  It was disgusting.  We ran hills, we practiced exchanges, and we stretched.

The sectional meet came, and it was FREEZING.  I went through our house and picked up any sweatshirt I could find just in case the kids forgot theirs.  They did.  I used all but one of the sweatshirts I brought, and they were still freezing.  It was a biting cold mixed with a nasty wind that was straight from Satan.

I had a blast though.  I watched 2 of my kids (maybe 3) make it to state, and saw all of the others do their absolute best on a terrible day for running.  I saw one of my runners tear something on his hip (he will be on crutches for a while), and I saw two of my other runners carry him off the track.  One of the coolest things though, was watching my team sit in the bleachers (nearly all alone), and cheer every runner that ran by them.  I was so proud.  

As I sat and watched them cheer, and just interact with each other, I couldn’t help but say a prayer of thanks for letting me be a part of their lives, and for God using me to give them a chance to compete.  I really have NO knowledge to give them.  All they needed was an opportunity to compete.  An opportunity to show what they could do.  Not just athletically, but with their sportsmanship as well.

As proud as I was of those kids, I began to feel very ashamed.  I knew my knowledge was poor, but I knew that didn’t matter.  Why is it so different when it comes to God?  I know God has the ability, but I still need to be “prepared” before I take the job.  I need to study more, pray more, meditate more, and whatever else I can think of to stall.  All God asks is to be given an opportunity to compete.  An opportunity to show what He can do.  

My kids didn’t need the perfect situation to show what they could do.  In fact, they did it in an awful situation.  It didn’t matter.  Why should it for God?  He just needs an opportunity to compete.  I know that I’m tired of standing in His way.