We looked at each other as the baton clattered to the track. A silent message of fear passed between us from the look in our eyes. My relay teammate picked up the baton and quickly handed it to me. I bolted away.
I ran my first away meet for track on Thursday. We crammed onto a stuffy and hot bus to get to the track and then tried to calm our nerves before our races were called. The first relay I ran, the 4/100, would have gone well enough if we had not dropped the baton. Thankfully, though, the relay team was not disqualified because we did what we were supposed to and did not interfere with the other teams.
For the second relay I ran in, the 4/400, I hurt myself a little bit, but I took that as a good sign. After all, wobbly legs could be a sign that I tried hard. The whole relay team worked hard and tried their best.
Overall, the meet went well. Here are three things I learned on Thursday.
- Encouragement Counts
When I began to get worried about my race, I had friends to help me out. When I was in the middle of my race, I heard friends call my name and the instruction from coaches. When people encourage me, it really helps. And also, knowing your teammates’ names is very important. When I hear my name while I’m racing, it makes a huge difference. Believe me, encouragement counts!
2. Cheering is Fun!
Believe it or not, being on the giving end of encouragement is just as great as the receiving end. Cheer loud, learn people’s names, and build people up. It’s worth the effort.
3. Try Your Best (it’s all mental)
I hurt myself in the relay, but my team was relying on me. I wanted to try my best. Here’s the last thing I want to say: try your best at whatever you do for the glory of God. If you don’t try your best , it’s wasteful. And for track, my friend told me something she does. The race is mental, and she separates her race in her mind. She runs the first half of the race and then pretends that the next half is a completely different race. When she does this, she ends up running faster.
What do you do at sports meets? Do you like when people cheer for you?
joyfulcreationsblog.com 