This is a view from what I would consider a nonathletic person, okay I have two left feet unless I’m scuba diving but I don’t love treading water unless I’m scuba diving but that’s a whole other story. I watch my son who is every bit of the athlete and has a true passion for it and I notice a common theme and an appearance of those that have a passion for athletics.

I had the pleasure of sitting in the stands waiting for my son to do the long jump-track meets can tend to be very long and strengthen our ability to be patient. While I sat in the cool breeze of July-yes it was a very strange day in Texas- a cool, almost cold day in July-2014. It was a regional meet and the energy and excitement was amped up because this is what they’ve worked so hard for all year.

I watched the athletes and the parents, as I tend to do, being alone with no conversation of my own, I like to people watch. First of all, when athletes run track there is a loser, a winner and those somewhere in between, the most amazing thing is that I didn’t see one child dissolving having lost the race. In this generation of making sure our children never feel the slightest feeling of losing, I watched very young children giving their all to be the best they can be. They compete against each other, they compete against their previous times and they compete against themselves and after they all feel a sense of accomplishment not a feeling of shame as some unseen power seems to think they will if they lose.

I have even heard of a team being accused of bullying when the other team wins, I just don’t understand that premise. You learn as much about life losing as you do winning. Keeping our children from loss and the realization that they need to work that much harder is only a negative thing if well-meaning parents make it so. I see kids with real trophies, that are competing for real rewards not some slip of paper that everyone gets just for showing up.

Seeing these young people with a sense of accomplishment and passion for what they are involved in gives me hope for the future of our youth. I also get to see families come together; there is no race here, no rich or poor, no politics, none of those buttons that the government and the media keep insisting on pushing. I believe that a track meet brings everyone together for a good reason and the product is community, true heightened self-esteem and a purpose that you can see just by watching these young kids.

I don’t believe you should force your child into anything, they need to be allowed to pursue their passion and great things will come from it, the biggest task is helping them to find what interests them-I think we are at our best when we are chasing our goals and working to be the best we can be as people, families or in this case an athletes, this is what I feel brings out the best in people.